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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24329497">Slice of Butterscotch-Cinammon Life</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sera_The_Dragon/pseuds/Sera_The_Dragon'>Sera_The_Dragon</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sera_The_Dragon/pseuds/SeratheDragon_UnfinishedTales'>SeratheDragon_UnfinishedTales (Sera_The_Dragon)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Saga of Tears and Blood [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Deltarune (Video Game), Undertale (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(spoilers: it's a lot), Abuse, Abusive Parents, Accidentally Causing the Plot, Adopted Sibling Relationship, Adoption, Anxiety, Attempted Kidnapping, Attempted Sexual Assault, Child Abandonment, Child Abuse, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Crying, Dark Comedy, Demons, Demons Made Them Do It, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Everyone Needs A Hug, Found Family, Friendship, Frisk (Undertale) Is a Sweetheart, Frisk has no clue what breakfast in bed is, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I Made Myself Cry, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide attempt, Intrusive Thoughts, It's time to play: How Much Trauma Can I Fit Inside One Character?, Minor Original Character(s), Night Terrors, Nightmares, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pneumonia, Sarcasm, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Self-Worth Issues, Sibling Bonding, Slice of Life, Some Plot, Soul Stealing, Suicidal Thoughts, Suspicions, Swearing, no beta we die like Asriel, not really demons but kinda demons</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:01:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>24,463</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24329497</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sera_The_Dragon/pseuds/Sera_The_Dragon, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sera_The_Dragon/pseuds/SeratheDragon_UnfinishedTales</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It first became clear when Frisk was gone for a week, only to be found alone on a bench at the local park, that not everything on the surface is like the monsters had hoped. Humans have proven that their SOULs don’t need love, hope, or compassion to exist, but just how much are they willing to hurt others? More importantly, how far will the monsters go to stop them?</p><p>(Alternatively: The monsters, and some new arrivals, help Frisk through some personal troubles.)</p><p>TW for self-harm, abusive parents, and lots of stuff regarding mental illness</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Saga of Tears and Blood [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2060958</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Dreemurr's Tears and Darkner's Blood: An Undertale/Deltarune AU</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Going Ahead Isn’t Wise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Greetings, all! Welcome to the hell that is Tears and Blood! This story serves as the prequel to a comic and game that I'm working on, which goes by the similar title of "Dreemurr's Tears and Darkner's Blood". The stories take place after the events of Undertale's Pacifist route. I hope you enjoy!<br/>Also, if you're interested, this story is also available on Wattpad with this link: https://www.wattpad.com/story/256678541-slice-of-butterscotch-cinnamon-life</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Just as the boredom is really beginning to set in, he arrives. How typical of him.</p><p>“Hi. Seems as if everyone is perfectly happy. Monsters have returned to the surface. Peace and prosperity will rule across the land. Take a deep breath. There’s nothing left to worry about.”</p><p>That’s a lie, and he knows it.</p><p>“Well... there is one thing. One last threat. One being with the power to erase <em>everything</em>... Everything everyone’s worked so hard for. You know who I’m talking about, don’t you?”</p><p>I have to hold back laughter. Oh, Flowey. So clever, yet so, so naive.</p><p>“That’s right. I’m talking about <em>you</em>. <em> You </em>still have the power to reset everything. Toriel, Sans, Asgore, Alphys, Papyrus, Undyne... If you so choose, everyone will be ripped from this timeline and sent back before all of this ever happened. Nobody will remember anything. You’ll be able to do <em> whatever you want.</em>”</p><p>“That power. I know that power. That’s the power you were fighting to stop, wasn’t it? The power that I wanted to use. But now, the idea of resetting everything, I... I don’t think I could do it all again. Not after that.”</p><p>Ugh. That damn human and her kindness. Makes everyone think they don’t have a right to use the power they have. Makes them think it’s wrong. Pathetic.</p><p>“So, please. Just let them go. Let Frisk be happy. Let Frisk live her life. But. If I can't change your mind. If you <em> do </em> end up erasing everything...”</p><p>“Shut up, you stupid plant,” I growl. "What I want isn’t in the past.”</p><p>I enjoy seeing Flowey like this. That shocked expression is priceless.</p><p>“You... <em> don’t </em> want a reset?”</p><p>“Well, looks like you grew a brain cell. You’re right; I don’t want a reset. I want the rest of the damn story. I want to Continue.”</p><p>“You want...” Flowey starts trembling in fear. “I-I’m sorry. I can’t let you do that.”</p><p>I start walking towards him, still smiling. “Well, perhaps you just need a little... <em> convincing</em>.”</p><p>“H-hey! What’s with the creepy face? I <em> can’t </em> let you do that!”</p><p>“Oh?” I conjure a dagger in my hand and press it to his stem. “Let's see if that changes.”</p><p>“Hey, hey, put-put down the knife! Stop! <em> Stop!</em>”</p><p>“All I have to do is press harder, and you will perish. Whether you stand in my way or not, I’m <em> going </em> to see the rest of the story!” I drag the knife down, slicing off a sliver of Flowey’s stem.</p><p>“Chara, <em> stop! </em> You’re hurting me! Stop! <em> Please!</em>”</p><p>His screams do nothing to deter me. When I can’t drag the knife down any further, I return to my starting point, repeating the process. It becomes a cycle, and I’m determined to keep it going for as long as necessary to get what I want.</p><p>I must have done this at least seven more times before he gave in. Hurt, betrayed, and fearing for his life, Flowey finally tells me he won’t fight against my will. “You win,” he whimpers. “I’ll let you see what happens next... let you Continue the story.”</p><p>I pat his gold petals gently. “Good boy. I knew I could count on you.”</p><p>Just as I’m about to leave, I hear him call out to me: “What... what are you going to do..?”</p><p>I don’t turn around. “I’m going to finish what we started so many years ago.”</p><p>“<em>No!</em>”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Symphony of Kindness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The trip down the mountain seems so much longer than the one up. I attribute that to the fact that I ran up, while now I’m walking. I’ve scraped myself a bit, and the sun’s almost gone already, but I found the abandoned trail that heads back. At the very least, I won’t get lost.</p><p><em> “Hey, where are you going, anyway?” </em> A familiar voice echoes in my head. It’s weird; I used to trust this voice with my life, but after talking to Asriel, there’s a seed of doubt in my mind.</p><p>I pull a sturdy-looking branch off a tree. It’ll be good for defense in case I encounter any of the mountain’s wild creatures. “Back to the waiting spot.”</p><p>
  <em> “Waiting spot? What are you waiting for?” </em>
</p><p>“I kind of need to concentrate on not dying right now, Chara.”</p><p><em> “Oh, okay. If you need any help, feel free to ask.” </em> Her presence fades away, but I still know she’s there. She’s inside of my SOUL, after all; we could never really be separate.</p><p>It takes a couple of hours, and I have to stop for a while to catch my breath, but soon, I can see the old park. It’s right there, empty except for a couple sitting together on a bench…</p><p><em> My </em>bench.</p><p>I start walking faster. It’s still pretty far away, so if I want to make it in enough time to get some rest, I’ll have to be faster.</p><p>…I should be smiling. Why aren’t I excited? Why aren't I happy?</p><p>I’m finally going home.</p><hr/><p>The bench is actually pretty small—nowhere near as big as it felt the first time I was there. I take a deep breath and try to avoid the sinking feeling settling over me. I have food and everything. It’s going to be fine.</p><p>I lay on the bench and listen to the leaves rustling, lifting my feet off the ground and curling into a ball. I’m not very comfy, but it’s okay. All I have to do is wait, and soon, I’ll never be uncomfortable again.</p><p>
  <em> “Frisk?” </em>
</p><p>Startled, I turn around. In the dim light of the moon, I can barely see her on the bench beside me. I’d heard Chara’s voice but never seen her, but now for some reason, she’s appeared to me. I’m surprised by how similar the two of us look; even though she’s taller than me and almost certainly a few years older, she and I could pass as twins. The only differences I notice are our eyes: mine are sort of ambery, while hers are the color of rust. Even our outfits are similar.</p><p><em> “Hey, um…” </em> She takes a quick breath, seeming nervous to speak. <em> “What exactly are you waiting for?” </em></p><p>I curl up closer to the center of the bench, shivering because of the cold. “Mom.”</p><p>
  <em> “So you have one after all… The way you acted around Toriel, I got curious.” </em>
</p><p>I sigh. Being with Toriel was like having scalding water poured onto me. I know she meant well, but… </p><p>I close my eyes, trying not to remember as I drift off.</p><hr/><p>
  <em> Thok. </em>
</p><p>The sting of something hitting my forehead pulls me out of sleep, and the first thing I see is the monster kid I met in Snowdin. He’s running in my direction.</p><p>“Yo! Frisk!”</p><p>I’m still a bit dazed, but I manage to put a few words together. “Hey, buddy.”</p><p>“Sorry about hitting you with the ball, man.” He blushes and turns away a bit. “I’m not too good at catch.”</p><p>“It’s fine.” I pick up the baseball and place it in his catching glove (which he’s wearing on his tail).</p><p>“Hey, uh, if you don’t mind me asking, why were you sleeping on that old bench? That can’t be comfortable, man.”</p><p>My hands start shaking, but it’s not cold outside. “Well, I—uh, I…” I can’t tell him. I can’t tell anyone. If I tell…</p><p><em> “Need help?” </em> Chara drifts into view. I nod shakily, not quite sure what she intends to do. I feel something warm on my shoulder, and suddenly, I’ve been shoved off the bench. I close my eyes and push my hands out to shield myself from the fall.</p><p>Except I don’t fall.</p><p>It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before; it’s like I’m falling, but the air isn’t rushing around me as it should. Instead, I’m sort of suspended in it, as if I’m underwater. Nervously, I open my eyes, and my gaze is met with a field of green. I’m floating in the air, above the grass. I reach out to push myself into a standing position, and I notice my hands are transparent. </p><p>I stand up and turn back to the bench, and I see myself talking to the kid. My eyes have become blood red, but otherwise, I look the same.</p><p>“Well, my house is on the far side of town. When I got down the mountain, it was already dark, and I needed to rest.”</p><p>Chara came up with it so quickly and didn’t even stumble over her words. I’m impressed.</p><p>“Well,” the kid says, “I guess that makes sense.”</p><p>“<em>Kid!</em>”</p><p>He turns in the direction of the voice. “Oh man, the game! I gotta go!” He runs to a small group of humans, falling on the way.</p><p>
  <em> “Chara, I…” </em>
</p><p>Smiling, Chara turns to face me. She says something, but her mouth doesn’t move. </p><p>
  <em> It’s okay. </em>
</p><p>The way her voice reverberates through the air brings back painful memories. Instinctively, I curl inwards on myself, but not so much that it’s noticeable.</p><p>
  <em> Frisk? …Is something wrong? </em>
</p><p><em> “I… it’s nothing. I’m just…” </em> I really want to say something, but… well, what is there to say?</p><p>It’s funny. Despite our differences, there are times when I feel like the two of us are one and the same.</p><hr/><p>A soft pattering sound stirs me from sleep. It’s raining. My nose itches and I turn over my shoulder to sneeze.</p><p><em> “Bless you.” </em> Chara smiles warmly.</p><p>I’m still at the park, and it’s clear that time has passed. It’s darker than it would be if it were daytime.</p><p>
  <em> “You okay?” </em>
</p><p>“Uh…” My mind is still a bit foggy. “I guess…”</p><p>The sound of the rain is soothing like it’s always been, but I’m soaked, and it’s cold, so cold. I rub my arms and curl into myself tightly.</p><p>
  <em> “Don’t tell me you’re spending the night again.” </em>
</p><p>“I have to.” I sigh and watch the white steam float away. “Mom’ll come back soon.” My stomach roars, and I decide to eat one of the cinnamon buns I got in Snowdin. It’s a bit stale.</p><p>
  <em> “How soon is ‘soon’, Frisk?” </em>
</p><p>My chest suddenly warms up and looking down, I see a familiar red glow. My SOUL wants something.</p><p><em> “Let me see that.” </em> Chara places a hand on my chest, and her eyes glaze over. I see something flashing through her eyes—recognition?</p><p><em> “Frisk…” </em> she finally says after a while. A brief silence follows, and then: <em> “Frisk, you do realize it’s been nearly two months, right?” </em></p><p>I flinch away from her. “Why were you looking through my memories?!”</p><p>She doesn’t respond. <em> “Every other time… that’s the thing. The fact that she leaves you here so often is already not a good sign, but at least the other times, it was only for a day or two. This time… Frisk, you have to consider that maybe… well, it’s just that… she might, not, come…” </em></p><p>“What are you talking about?!” I practically scream at her. “She’ll come back! Mom <em>always </em>comes back for me! She would <em>never </em>leave me! <em> Never!</em>” I feel tears welling up in my eyes, and I bury my face in my hands.</p><p>
  <em> “Frisk…” </em>
</p><p>“She <em>loves </em>me! She wants me to be a good person! That’s—that’s why she leaves me here! Cause sometimes—sometimes, I'm not good sometimes, and, and, so she takes me here and—and she takes me here… and…”</p><p>My breaths are shallow. I don’t want her to be right. I don't want it to be true. She said she’d be right back. It's not like she'd leave me...</p><p>...would she?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Home is Where Your SOUL Glows</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The hours blend into days, passing quickly and slowly at the same time. The rain doesn’t let up. I try to sleep, but it’s too cold, too uncomfortable. I’ve gotten a headache. I haven’t eaten or drank in a while, so I eat another cinnamon bun and hold my hands out into the cold rain to drink.</p><p>Chara’s resting on top of me, trying to keep me warm so I don’t get sick. I always imagined that having a ghost touch you would feel icy; the warmth of her body is a welcome surprise.</p><p>“She still hasn’t come to find me…”</p><p><em> “Hey.” </em> Chara whirls around to look me in the eyes. <em> “You know people who can help. You just need to—” </em></p><p>“I can’t.”</p><p>She flinches away a bit, stunned by the harshness of my reply. <em> “What… what do you mean, you can’t?” </em></p><p>I pull my feet off the ground, resting my chin on my knees. “If I call for help, I’ll have to tell them. And if I tell… if I tell…”</p><p>My phone vibrates suddenly, and I yelp, practically falling off the bench.</p><p>It’s a text message from Alphys.</p><p> </p><p>frisk it’s been like a week since we last talked are you okay </p><p> </p><p>She’s sending more.</p><p> </p><p>frisk</p><p>i know your phone is working</p><p>please answer me ok???</p><p> </p><p>It looks like all of my friends are reaching out to me. Undyne sent a few messages offering to suplex whatever jerk made me feel bad. Papyrus only sent one message, but it’s pretty long. As per usual, he’s typed everything in all capitals.</p><p> </p><p>FRISK, I HOPE YOU’RE OKAY. IF SOMETHING IS BOTHERING YOU, DON’T BE AFRAID TO LET US KNOW. I’M NOT SAYING YOU HAVE TO EXPLAIN WHAT’S WRONG. EVERYONE HAS THINGS THEY PREFER NOT TO TALK ABOUT, AND THAT’S OKAY. YOU’VE ALWAYS HAD OUR BACKS AND SUPPORTED US WHEN WE NEEDED IT THE MOST, AND I’M GRATEFUL FOR THAT. IF YOU EVER FEEL LIKE YOU NEED HELP, OR JUST WANT SOMEONE BY YOUR SIDE, YOU CAN ASK US ANYTIME! THE SAME WAY YOU’VE BEEN THERE FOR US, I KNOW THAT WE WILL BE THERE FOR YOU!</p><p> </p><p>I start shaking and inadvertently drop the phone. My vision sways and doubles, my stomach twists into a knot, all I can hear is my heartbeat and some droning noise in my head; I almost throw up, I feel so sick. </p><p><em> “Frisk, you need to calm down.” </em> There’s a moment of silence between us.</p><p><em> “Hey, uh…” </em> It’s weird seeing Chara like this. During our time in the Underground, I was always the sensitive one. She never seemed vulnerable, but now something’s changed. <em> “I… I won’t tell you there’s no reason to panic. I’m sure you have plenty of reasons why you’re so jumpy. But regardless, you can’t keep refusing help. That’ll just make everything harder.” </em></p><p>I fight off my tears, but they come anyway. “You don’t—you don’t understand, this isn’t a big deal. It’s not anything like—like their problems. I shouldn’t be complaining, I don’t—don’t have it as bad. I don’t deserve to ask for help, and, and it’s not like help would come anyway…”</p><p>
  <em> “That’s ridiculous, Frisk. Help always comes. You just have to find the bravery to ask for it.” </em>
</p><p>Chara places the phone back in my quaking hands.</p><p>
  <em> “If you can’t find it… I’ll offer some of mine.” </em>
</p><p>She rests her hand on my chest and whispers something I can’t understand. My SOUL shines within me, breaking through the darkness of fear. As the light fades, the sick feeling melts away, like it was never there. The despair and anguish remain, but now, I’m strong enough to act despite them. I open my contacts list and call the first person I met who actually cared…</p><p>She picks up almost immediately on a video call. “This is Toriel.” Her eyes are glossy and the fur below them is dark and slick like she’s been crying. Even though worry makes it tremble, her voice is so gentle, so sweet, so <em>motherly</em>. “Are you all right?”</p><p>I can’t help it; I start crying. The sobs come fast and strong; I find myself hyperventilating in between loud and ugly hiccupping wails. I can only imagine how pathetic I seem. </p><p>“Frisk!?” She sounds horrified. “What has happened? Are you hurt!?”</p><p>“Frisk is there?” The phone starts shaking, and suddenly, Undyne’s glaring into the camera. “Hey, you punk! What <em>took</em> so long!? You had us worried sick! We…” Undyne quiets down, and her crests droop. Guess she noticed me crying. “Oh.” Her voice has lost its edge. “I, uh… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you anymore. You just scared me, that’s all.”</p><p>“Is that Frisk?” The camera view tilts down, and Alphys gazes up. When she sees me, her eyes light up like stars and her tail wags furiously. “Oh, thank god you’re okay! I was afraid you’d gotten really hurt or something… thanks for proving me wrong.”</p><p>“Frisk! You’re okay!” Even from a distance, I recognize Papyrus’ distinct, loud voice. “Sans, come on! We need to go say hi!” It isn’t long before I see Papyrus and Sans through the camera. They’re both smiling. They’ve always been so cheerful… thinking back just makes me more upset. My tears come down harder.</p><p>“Huh?! Frisk, why are you red?! Is that normal for humans?!”</p><p>“She’s cold, bro.”</p><p>“And you’re crying! That’s definitely not good! Worry not! I, the great Papyrus, shall cheer you up! …As soon as I’m with you!”</p><p>Asgore appears behind Toriel. “Frisk, I am glad to see that you are safe. It is a shame our reunion cannot happen under happier circumstances, but no matter. Is there something you need?”</p><p>Chara smiles and rests a hand on my shoulder.<em> “See? You called for help, and everybody came.” </em></p><p>“I, I…” I struggle to wipe the tears from my eyes, to speak, to breathe; it feels like I’m struggling to even exist. “I’m so—I’m so sorry! I, I need help! I’m all…” I try to slow down, sniffling. “I’m, I’m all alone! I need you—I need you to come, come get me! Please…”</p><p>Toriel smiles warmly. “I understand, my child. Do you know where you are?”</p><hr/><p>I told them to head for the park by the mountain’s base. I don’t know how long it’ll take for them to come, but I know that they really will come back for me. I take a deep breath and try to ignore the icy chill of the rain. <em> They’ll be here soon, </em> I tell myself. <em> Until then, I’ve just gotta stay here. </em></p><p>It’s… funny. The same way this cycle of despair began, it ends: waiting.</p><p>A warm feeling spreads across me, and somehow I know that Chara is embracing me.</p><p>
  <em> “Thanks for trusting them.” </em>
</p><p>I wish I could hug her back. “Thanks for believing in me.”</p><hr/><p>Everyone’s there. They came. <em> They came for me. </em></p><p>I make some strange noise that’s both a scream and a wail, and everyone sees me, and I’m running to them long before I even think about it. Toriel holds out her arms, I get swept up into the air, and I feel something almost primal deep inside my SOUL, something I’ve never felt before. It’s really her, soft and warm and fluffy and cradling me like I’m her own.</p><p>“Frisk, what happened?” Toriel says.</p><p>Even though I know I shouldn’t tell her, I can’t stop myself; the words break out of my wounded heart in between ugly sobs. “She said, she said she’d be right back! It’s been so long but, but I--I’ve been <em>waiting</em> for her but she’s not, she’s not <em>coming!</em> I miss her, I miss her so <em>much,</em> but I don’t think she <em>cares!</em> I don’t think she <em>ever</em> cared, and, and I just didn’t <em>know</em> because, because I didn’t know what it was <em>like</em> to have someone care—” I bury myself in her robes. It doesn’t muffle my voice or silence my tears, but it feels so <em>right</em>. “I don’t know the way back! I <em>can’t</em> go back but I don’t, I don’t have anywhere else to <em>go!</em> I’m <em>sorry!</em> Can I stay, can I stay with you, <em>please…</em>”</p><p>I can barely breathe. I hold on tight to her, afraid that if I let go, she might vanish. I feel a gentle paw stroking my back.</p><p>“Frisk…” Her voice trembles with some strange emotion, and I think it might be the same one I don’t recognize. “Frisk… You really are a funny child. If you had said that earlier, none of this would have happened. It is a good thing you took so long to change your mind.”</p><p>“I didn’t understand, I didn’t know you were <em>caring </em>about me,” I whimper, sniffling. “It felt <em> wrong </em> then, but… but now I know it wasn’t <em> wrong</em>, I’d just never been <em> loved </em> the way… you…”</p><p>Love… Could that be what I’m feeling?</p><p>My chest shines with a red glow, brighter and hotter than ever before. I notice Toriel’s shines with a pure white.</p><p>“If you really do not have any other place to go…” Her eyes are glossed over like she’s holding back tears. “I will do my best to take care of you, for as long as you need.”</p><p>Asgore approaches, kneeling to see eye-to-eye with me and gently placing a massive paw on my head. He smiles warmly at me, and I think I see tears in his eyes, too. “As will I, small one.” Through the gaps in his armor, I can see a white light. </p><p>Undyne, Alphys, and Papyrus come too, all shouting about how glad they are that I’m staying. Soon, I’m buried in a monster group hug, surrounded by burning glows of yellow and green and orange. Somewhere among the lights, I think I see a hint of bright blue, but it’s hidden behind so many other colors that it’s hard to tell for sure.</p><p>The warmth of our SOULs, the shelter of the embrace, the rain that’s soaked into my clothing… it’s all so new, yet so <em>familiar</em>. This new feeling inside me is powerful and painful, and it makes me feel like I’m going to burst, and yet I wouldn’t want it any other way. Still sniffling, tears still streaming down my face, I let out broken, hiccuping laughs.</p><p>How did I ever live without love? …it doesn’t matter. I’m safe now. I’m <em>home</em> now.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Parallels in the Night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>It’s so cold. I can’t see anything. My heart’s pounding in my throat, my breaths are deathly shallow. Why am I so afraid? There’s nothing here.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A raspy voice calls out, barely more than a whisper. “Child…” I turn around, looking for the source of the voice, but there’s still nothing else in the pitch darkness.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Child, can you help us? We are starving, but it is too painful for us to move. Even speaking to you now causes us great pain. You are so far… please, come closer to us so we may tell you more.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Where are you?” I call out.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Follow the sound of your child’s voice. Follow our sound…”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cautious, I take a deep breath and begin walking towards the voice. It keeps talking to me, saying things I don’t understand; I’m not even sure they’re real words. Even if they are, it’s definitely not any language I recognize. Despite the voice’s hoarse and dark tones, there’s a comforting quality to what this person’s saying.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>All of a sudden, some horrible wail stabs at my ears. I cover my ears to try and block out the noise, but it only gets louder. The ground falls out from under me, and I find myself bracing for a deadly impact without even trying to move. I slam against the ground; arrows of pain shoot through my whole body. A bloodcurdling howl of pain escapes my lips. I try to stand back up but it hurts too much; all I can do is call for help. Over and over, I cry into the darkness until I finally get a response:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Stop crying! This is only happening because of you!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A door opens somewhere far away, and blinding light pours out of it. There’s a shadow in the doorway; it’s familiar. Too familiar.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Mom!” I call out, my voice hoarse from screaming so much. “Help me! Mom, please help!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She turns around, barely paying attention to my pain. “One of these days you’ll learn how to behave yourself. Until then, we’re going to keep coming here. Understand?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Mom, it hurts! Please help me!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Stay there.” I hear her footsteps getting quieter as she leaves. “I’ll be right back.” The doors begin closing.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Wait, don’t go! I’ll behave! I’ll listen from now on! Please, I won’t hurt you! I won’t! Never again! I promise!” I force myself to head towards her. Every fragment of my essence is crying out in pain, but I can’t let that stop me; I have to get back to her. “I’m not going to misbehave! I’m sorry! Please, I'm helpful! I can be useful to you! I promise I won’t get in your way! I can help!” My words fail to convince her to come back. The doors slam shut, leaving me alone in the darkness once again.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I can help…” I keep my focus fixed on the spot where the doors were. She’ll come back. She has to come back. “I can… I can…”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I fall to the ground, unable to support myself. Curling into a ball, my chest quakes from broken sobs.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Please come back…"</em>
</p><hr/><p>She appears so peaceful when she sleeps, but even then a storm swirls just below the surface. I can feel the terror and pain of the nightmares through her SOUL. She’s lost herself to the vicious unrealities of a story that isn’t true, haunted by memories that aren’t real. Part of me wishes I could blame myself for her awful nightmares; unfortunately, my presence has nothing to do with the torture she must endure in the few moments she can escape her waking life.</p><p><em>“Hasn’t she been through enough?”</em> I wonder aloud. There’s no real reason for me to worry about being heard; Frisk alone bears my spirit. Besides, if me speaking was somehow able to wake somebody up, then there was no way anyone would be asleep after one of Frisk’s nighttime fits.</p><p>Almost as if on cue, a piercing shriek shatters the stillness of the house. Frisk pulls her thick covers over her head, sobbing as tremors race through her frail body. The flickering, unsteady light of her SOUL’s glow nearly blinds me, despite being filtered by enough blankets to build a castle out of. She keeps apologizing, saying things like “I’ll behave” and “I’ll listen from now on”. But for some reason, one particular thing she says resonates with me much more than I could have anticipated.</p><p>“I…” Blubbers and hiccups weave their way through her words like a needle and thread. “I won’t hurt you! I won’t… never again! I promise!”</p><p>Before I can get any closer to ask what’s going on, the door slams open and Toriel runs in with a harried expression.</p><p>“Frisk, what has happened!? Are you all right!?”</p><p>Even if Frisk could hear her right now, I don’t think she’d answer. She’s still trapped inside the nightmare, repeating the same few things over and over. “I’m not, I’m not going to misbehave! I’m sorry! Please, I'm helpful! I can be useful to you! I promise I won’t get in your way! I can help!”</p><p>Toriel gently lifts Frisk off the bed, cradling her as if they were blood relatives. “Shh,” she whispers as she runs a paw through Frisk’s hair. “You are safe, all right? I am right here, protecting you. Do not be afraid, my child.”</p><p>After some time, Frisk finally stops flailing and grabs the monster’s arm with a death grip. “I can help… I can… I can…” Her SOUL glows faintly, wavering with uncertainty the same way it did back when I first found out the reason she was near Mt. Ebott to begin with. “Please come back…”</p><p>An image flashes in my mind for a few seconds. A shadowy figure, walking away from a beaten, bloody Frisk, ignoring her cries for help. I feel overwhelming emotions; fear, anger, guilt—despondence. Whoever this person is, Frisk still wants to believe they’ll come back, but she knows better.</p><p>Toriel strokes Frisk a few more times, whispering kind words to her, then she sets the little girl back on her bed. “Good night, my child.” She kisses Frisk on the forehead, tucks her into the covers, and leaves the room. Once again, the two of us are alone. I sit on the bed beside her, careful not to touch her in case she’s still agitated. She’s eerily still now; if it wasn’t for the gentle rise and fall of the blankets, I would probably have mistaken her for being dead.</p><p><em>“Frisk,”</em> I whisper to her. <em>“You’re okay now.”</em> Cautious, I caress her cheek. Her skin is so soft, and even when her face is soaked with tears, she manages to look so innocent. How could anyone be so cruel to someone like Frisk, who bears no darkness in her SOUL despite her hellish past? Even I have failed to muster the strength to harm this sweet girl.</p><p>If that person in her dream was who I think it was, it’s definitely best if she never comes back.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chills</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sun rises through the window, casting a single gold beam of light onto my face. Not quite ready to wake up, I turn away from it, but something stabs at my chest when I sigh. I tense up a bit at the sharp pain.</p><p>
  <em> “Hey, are you gonna get up anytime soon? Toriel’s still pretty concerned about you, so it’s not the best idea to keep her waiting.” </em>
</p><p>“Not right now, Chara.” I pull the blankets all the way over my head, trying to block out the light so my headache doesn’t get worse.</p><p><em> “C’mon, you bedlump,” </em> Chara says as she nudges my side. For some reason, there’s a playful, almost singsong tone to her voice. <em> “She’s making breakfast and—oh, I get it! You’re trying to get breakfast in bed, you lazy butt!” </em></p><p>With my interest piqued, I lift the covers just enough to see the spirit kneeling at the side of the bed. “You can do that?”</p><p>
  <em> “Do what?” </em>
</p><p>“Have breakfast in bed.”</p><p><em> “Of course you can!” </em> Chara turns away, pressing her hand to her forehead. <em> “I can’t believe this,” </em> she mutters to herself. <em> “I’m sharing a SOUL with the only kid in the city who’s never had breakfast in bed before.” </em></p><p>Before I can even respond, the stabbing comes back. I take a deep breath to make it go away, but the pain gets worse; the air irritates my throat and I start coughing, which just makes my chest hurt even more. Startled, Chara flinches away from me before turning back around. She looks really concerned. <em> “Are you okay?” </em> she asks. <em> “You sound awful.” </em></p><p>I manage to choke out a few words in between gasps. “I’m fine.” </p><p><em> “Don’t lie to me, Frisk. You are not fine.” </em> She grabs my wrist, but her hand is icy; I draw back under the blankets to stay warm.</p><p>“When did you get so cold?!”</p><p>
  <em> “I’m not—you’re the one who’s burning up! You must have gotten sick from being in the rain for so long.” </em>
</p><p>I shudder a bit at her words. I’ve been sick before, but not like this. Never like this. Usually, I would just wait out the awful things, but I’m not by myself anymore. Toriel and Asgore are here now too. What will they think? I retreat further under the covers. The warmth still isn’t enough.</p><p>I’m forced to stop panicking when somebody knocks on the door.</p><p>“Frisk,” Toriel calls, “it is almost time to eat. Please wake up now.”</p><p>Reluctantly, I push off the covers and start trying to get out of bed. It’s cold, and I’m exhausted; I don’t even know if I have the strength to stand up. The moment I push myself off the mattress, my vision goes dark, and I let out a sigh of defeat as I sit back down. That was a bad idea: I immediately break into another painful coughing fit.</p><p>“Frisk?” Toriel calls with a worried tone as she opens the door. “Frisk, what is wrong?”</p><p>I don’t even try to respond, because I know all that’ll come out is more coughing. Instead, I focus on breathing slower, even though it hurts really bad. I keep my breaths long, but shallow, so I don’t start coughing again.</p><p>“Oh, goodness!” Toriel heads over to stand by my side and places her paw on my cheek. “My dear child, you sound terrible! Is everything alright?”</p><p>Careful not to trigger another fit, I pat my chest, hoping she’ll understand.</p><p>“Your chest? Oh, is it hurting?”</p><p>I nod.</p><p>“Can you try to speak?” Her eyes are shining with tears. I hate seeing Toriel so upset. I take a quick breath and whisper a response.</p><p>“It hurts to talk. The uh, the air makes my throat—”</p><p>My stomach, clearly upset with me, lets out an enormous growl. It makes me feel uneasy.</p><p>“Oh! Come now, child; let me get you some breakfast, and I shall call your friend Alphys.”</p><hr/><p>It’s not that I’m not hungry; the truth is, I’m starving. But every bite I take makes me feel worse. Down the hall, I hear Toriel talking on the phone.</p><p>“Please, miss Alphys. You have the most expertise in this area out of everyone I know. There must be something you can do to help, right?</p><p>“I know you did not spend much time in that field, but I have no other options. Dharma refuses to work for me any longer, and… well, you know what became of Wingdings.</p><p>“Alphys, please. I do not want to lose another child to illness. You understand, right?</p><p>“Thank you, thank you so much.”</p><p>Toriel hangs up the phone and walks toward me. “Alphys is on her way,” she says with a worried smile. “You should be all better once she is finished. Is that not good news?” I smile and nod; she ruffles my hair and laughs quietly. “Now finish up your breakfast, my child.”</p><p>“I… I can’t. I’m sorry.”</p><p>Toriel looks concerned. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“I feel worse,” I whisper. “My stomach hurts.” With a heavy sigh—I completely forgot to pay attention to my breathing—the stabbing pain in my chest comes back. I start to cough, and my stomach twists itself up. Something rises in my throat, and I cover my mouth as it fills with a vile taste, but it doesn’t help; I start to throw up.</p><p>“Frisk!?” Toriel’s face contorts in fear. Tears shimmer in her eyes as she lifts me and carries me to my bedroom. She talks as she lays me on the bed, but her words barely register to me. A vicious fire burns in my belly, and I need to get it <em>out</em>. My chest heaves with every desperate gasp. The world seems to fade, becoming cold, dark, and distant. I turn over, still coughing, unable to take so much as a single breath before my stomach twists again, painfully ridding itself of the fire inside.</p><p>Soon, everything finally comes to a stop. I’m left exhausted, breathing heavily on my bed.</p><p>“Frisk!” Toriel grabs my shoulders and pulls me into a sitting position. “Oh, Frisk, I am so sorry! You are such a sweet girl, and I wish you would not have to…” I look into her eyes, and for the first time, I see fear. Slowly, she pulls me into a hug, gently stroking my back.</p><p>“There, there…” she stammers. “Deep breaths, deep breaths. It is okay, we are going to fix this. There, there…”</p><p>I try to follow her advice, slowing down my breathing despite the stinging pain.</p><p>She’s scared of losing me. I don’t remember the last time somebody was scared of losing me. Maybe that time never existed… no. I can’t think like that. Mom loved me enough to be scared of losing me! If she wasn’t, she wouldn’t have been so hard on me, or so strict with her rules, and she wouldn’t have treated me the way she did.</p><p>I still miss her. I hope she comes back for me soon.</p><hr/><p>Alphys touches my forehead and frowns nervously before opening my mouth and looking inside. I see something in her eyes—a flash of recognition.</p><p>“Miss Alphys, what do you think it is?”</p><p>The reptilian sits down beside the bed, sighing in defeat. “Well, judging by what I’ve heard and seen, it looks like she might have viral pneumonia.”</p><p>“Is that bad?”</p><p>“It’s far from lethal if that’s what you mean. But it takes some time to get rid of. She’ll have to, um, stay home for a few more days.”</p><p>“But Asgore and I have business to attend to with the human leaders of Newlake! Who will watch over her when we leave?”</p><p>“Well, you could hire a sitter. Or, uh, just ask one of us to look after her. I’m sure most of us wouldn’t mind.”</p><p>I want to say something, but deep inside, I think it would be better if I stayed quiet. Somebody should look after me; Chara doesn’t really have the ability to do much in the real world, and if I’m left alone for too long, my dark thoughts become hard to ignore.</p><p>Toriel walks to the bedside, gingerly placing a hand on my shoulder. She smiles sadly, and a single tear runs down her cheek at the sight of me.</p><p>“Do not worry, my child. Your friends will take good care of you.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. SOUL Exchange</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I twist around a corner of my blanket to keep the boredom away. Chara stares out the window, looking upset, which makes me nervous. She’s never upset about things. Even when Asriel finally turned to the “kill or be killed” mentality and promised to undo his mistakes, she wasn’t upset. After some time, I swallow my fear and talk to her.</p><p>“Is something wrong?”</p><p>Chara turns to face me for a second, then goes back to looking out the window with a sigh. <em> “This is my fault.” </em></p><p>“No, it isn’t!” I whisper-shout, taken aback. “You were trying to keep me from getting sick!”</p><p>
  <em> “And I failed. I could have done better.” </em>
</p><p>“You also could have done worse.” I think back to when I was out in that horrible storm, and how Chara kept hugging me and resting on top of me to keep me warm so I wouldn’t get sick. She wouldn’t have had to do it if I wasn’t so stubborn. “If anything, this is my fault! I’m the one who insisted on waiting there in the rain for so long!”</p><p><em> “But you don’t regret that, Frisk.” </em> She walks away from the window and sits down on the bed beside me. <em> “Even after everything that Toriel and Asgore and the others did for you, you still want to go back to </em> her.<em>” </em></p><p>“She’s my mom, Chara! She loves me!” I feel my anger slowly rising, and I bite the inside of my cheek to remind myself to stay calm. “It may not seem like it to you, but she loves me more than anything.”</p><p>
  <em> “Then why would she leave you behind for so long?” </em>
</p><p>I remember all the days and nights before when I talked back or misbehaved or acted a way she didn’t like. All the times where she took me there to teach me to act properly. The night she caught me. Oh god, the night when she caught me. The pale white light glinting off the bloody knife in my hand… The fresh cuts along my arm, surrounded by all the old ones… The seething anger on Mom’s face as she realized what I’d done.</p><p>After that night, what reason did she need?</p><p>“I was bad. I deserved it.”</p><p><em> “Don’t you dare start that with me!” </em> Chara shouts. I flinch away, startled by her outburst, and then I realize that I said my last few thoughts out loud. <em> “Nobody deserves to suffer, least of all somebody like you! I don’t care how bad you were, it doesn’t excuse the fact that you were abandoned!” </em></p><p>Just as I’m about to respond and tell her I wasn't abandoned, I hear Toriel open the door to the house.</p><p>“I am very glad you could arrive on such short notice, Papyrus.”</p><p>“Not a problem!” Even from a distance, it’s easy to know when Papyrus is talking. He’s very loud, and his voice is distinct. “I can always make time for my good friends!”</p><p>“I am grateful for that. Now, do you remember what you are supposed to do when—”</p><p>“Of course I remember!” Papyrus interrupts. “The great Papyrus forgets nothing! You do not need to worry, your majesty. I can handle any challenges that come my way!”</p><p>“Wonderful! I should…” Toriel’s voice trails off. “Papyrus,” she says in a hushed voice, “who is that?”</p><p>Completely oblivious to the situation, Papyrus continues speaking at his normal volume. “This is a new friend I made! Their name is Kris! I thought it would be a good idea to introduce them to Frisk because I think they will get along very well!”</p><p>“I am not sure… they look rather irritated.”</p><p>“That’s just their resting face! They’re actually very cool and funny! Just like me!”</p><p>For a moment, both of the monsters are silent. Then, Toriel says “…well, I suppose you can bring them as well. Just be sure that they do not get into any trouble, okay?”</p><p>“You can count on me, your majesty! Nyeh heh heh!”</p><p>I hear their footsteps coming up the stairs, then Toriel opens the door to my room. “Hello, Frisk,” she says. “Papyrus will be watching over you while your father and I talk to the leaders of Newlake. Be good, alright?” I nod, and she smiles. “Thank you. I will see you later!”</p><p>She leaves the doorway, and the moment she’s out of sight, Papyrus bursts in a bit too enthusiastically for somebody who’s supposed to be looking after a sick kid. “Frisk!” he shouts as he runs towards me. Before I can react, I’m receiving an awkward half-hug from the tall, flamboyant skeleton. “I’m so glad to see you again! You know, you had me worried sick the other day. You really ought to tell us if you’re all alone; dangerous things can happen to people who are all alone! And speaking of sick…” He reaches into a small pouch slung around his shoulder and pulls out a small bone with a red ribbon tied around it in a pretty bow. “The queen told me you were feeling unwell, so I brought you this! Consider it a get-well-soon present!”</p><p>I smile as I gently take the bone from his hands. “Thanks,” I say. I can’t help but smile shyly. Papyrus seems happier than ever to see my positive reactions.</p><p>Out of the corner of my eye, I catch something moving in the doorframe. Paying more attention to it, I realize that somebody else is here. A human, taller and older than me, with messy brown hair that covers their eyes and a comfy-looking striped shirt like Chara’s. They look pretty tired. For some reason, they make me feel nervous, as if they might try to attack me.</p><p>“Who’s that?” I ask quietly, just in case they’re listening.</p><p>Papyrus glances over to follow my gaze. “Oh, that’s Kris!” He turns back to face me, still smiling. “I met them a few days ago, and we became friends very quickly! They don’t talk much, but they’re very cool and funny, just like me! I brought them over because I thought you would like to meet them, and who knows? Maybe you’ll become best friends with them too!”</p><p>Kris backs away a bit. I think they’re scared too. The thought makes me feel a little better. “I’d like that.”</p><p>Papyrus stands up. “I’ll be right back, okay? I’m going to make you something to eat! After all, you can’t heal on an empty stomach!” As he leaves the room, he nudges Kris and motions for then to come into the room. “Why don’t you get to know Kris in the meantime?”</p><p>The door slams shut, leaving Kris and me alone. My SOUL glows faintly. I half expect to see a light come from Kris’s chest, but there’s nothing there. I notice a strange tear in their shirt, haphazardly stitched back up.</p><p>Not sure what else to do, I try to start a conversation. “Um… hi. My name’s Frisk.”</p><p>They don’t respond. </p><p>“Nice to meet you?”</p><p>Kris picks up a small birdcage. From inside of it, something shines with a brilliant red glow. They set it down on my dresser, and the glowing thing inside starts banging against the walls like it’s trying to escape. Soon, the light dies down, and I finally get a glimpse of what’s in the cage.</p><p>A red SOUL, just like mine.</p><p>“Wait, what are you—”</p><p>Kris tightly grips my chest, pressing down with their fingertips as if they’re trying to break through my skin. The light of my SOUL brightens too much and begins to flicker as they start whispering something that I can’t understand.</p><p>“Stop—stop it!” I cry, wincing as the stabbing pain returns. “You’re hurting me! Stop! Please!” I try to call for help but I'm overcome by a vicious coughing fit. The added pain from whatever Kris is doing spreads through my whole body like a wildfire.</p><p>Suddenly, everything stops for a moment. The pain becomes a dull ache, my fear subsides… all that’s there is silence. Even the dark whispers are gone.</p><p>“Oh my god…”</p><p>The sound of Kris’s voice startles me. Nervous, I open my eyes and turn to look at them. In their hands, my own SOUL flickers with a terrified light. I try to reach out and grab it, but the soreness makes it hard to move.</p><p>I can see their eyes now; blood red, like the way my eyes look in the mirror. They’re glazed over, and I can see something flashing through them. They must be looking through my memories.</p><p>After some time, they hold out my SOUL, and it floats back into my chest. The pain worsens and the whispers return, but at least the silence is gone. Kris picks up the birdcage with their SOUL in it and heads towards the door. Before they leave, they turn back around. Their eyes are hidden again, but somehow I know they’re looking at me as they speak.</p><p>“I’m sorry.”</p><p>They leave the room without saying another word.</p><p><em> “Frisk!” </em> Chara cries. <em> “You’re okay! I thought something bad was going to happen! Where were you?!” </em></p><p>“Where was I? I didn’t go anywhere. Kris took my SOUL and—”</p><p><em> “They </em> what?<em>” </em> Chara reappears by my side, but she looks different; her eyes leak a strange dark liquid and her teeth are sharper. <em> “They did </em> what?!<em>” </em></p><p>“But they gave it back!”</p><p><em> “They took your SOUL?!” </em> She grabs my arm, and I feel phantom claws dig into my skin. <em> “And you </em> let them?!<em>” </em></p><p>“Chara, calm down! You’re scaring me!”</p><p><em> “You should know better than to let other people see your SOUL!” </em> The whites of her eyes go dark, and her eyes turn red. Her mouth splits apart until a bloody, jagged smile is spread across her face. <em> “Now they know all your secrets! They could use what they’ve learned to seriously hurt you and your friends! You’ve put us all in danger!”</em></p><hr/><p>Exhausted, I take a seat on the small reading chair. Magic is a lot more draining than I thought.</p><p>“So, how did it go?” Papyrus smiles as he walks by, carrying a plate of burnt spaghetti. I sigh and pick up the cage containing my SOUL. It bangs against the walls, desperate to escape. Reluctantly, I open the cage door and let my SOUL return to me. It almost hurts to have it back inside. I’ll have to find one to trade for it soon. This SOUL keeps resonating with some evil feeling, and no matter what I do it won’t go away.</p><p>Maybe that kid would have been able to carry my SOUL, but after seeing hers… I don’t think I can go through with it. I couldn’t see any memories, but I heard things, felt things. I can’t take her SOUL. I would never be able to carry that weight. I catch myself dreaming up all the different scenarios she could have been through for her SOUL to be in such a horrible state. I know I shouldn't, but it's probably the closest I’m ever going to get to understanding why she is the way she is.</p><p>How can she even carry such a heavy heart?</p><p>God knows I can’t.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Starving Mother</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Please? I made it for you!”</p><p>I look at Papyrus, then let my gaze drift down to the plate. Somehow, he managed to make spaghetti without setting anything on fire—except maybe his cape, which bears some newly singed spots. I’m already nauseous and I’m not sure his signature dish will help with that, but I don’t want to disappoint him. I pick up the fork and take a bite. The taste is indescribable.</p><p>“So, what do you think of Kris?”</p><p>“They’re…” I feel a dark presence, and it reminds me of what Chara said. </p><p><em> If your friends find out that Kris was looking into your SOUL, it will put them all in danger. You should </em>never <em>let </em>anybody <em>know what happened to you. </em></p><p>I shake my head a bit. “They’re pretty nice.”</p><p>“I knew you’d like them!” Papyrus preens beneath the success of his idea. “The moment I saw them, I thought of you! I think it must have been the shirt they were wearing since it was striped, and the sweater you wore in the Underground was striped as well.</p><p>“Or maybe it was their quiet nature that reminded me of you! I remember how quiet you used to be, you know! I only heard you talk about five times! It used to worry me so much, remember?”</p><p>I laugh quietly to make sure I won’t start coughing, but it happens anyway. Once the fit of coughing stops, Papyrus reminds me that I need to eat so I can recover sooner, so I force myself to take another bite of his food.</p><p>My phone vibrates on top of the dresser, playing a familiar tone. Somebody updated their Undernet account. I try to reach out and grab it, but it's out of my arm’s reach.</p><p>“Oh!” Papyrus says once he notices what I’m trying to do. “Do you want to see that?” I nod, and he hands me the phone. I open the notification and read it.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> ALPHYS updated status. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> It’s official guys! We get to stay!!! ^w^ </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Attached to the post is a picture of Toriel, Asgore, and two humans standing side by side. They’re all smiling.</p><p>“Papyrus, look!”</p><p>The tall skeleton looks over my shoulder to see, and he punches the sky once he reads the post. “We did it, Frisk!” he shouts. “We get to stay in town!” The two of us celebrate for a little while before I start coughing again.</p><p>“Woah! Are you okay?” He tries to come closer, but I push him away.</p><p>“No!” I try to fight off the incoming fit. “I don’t want you getting sick too! You need to—” The coughs come back worse, and it takes a long time before they finally die down. “You need to stay away for now. If you don’t, then you’ll—<em>ow!</em>” The sharp stabbing pain comes back in my chest and then migrates to my belly. I curl up in an attempt to ease the pain, but it just makes my stomach turn. I make myself breathe slower and move back into a normal position.</p><p>“Hold on, Frisk.” Papyrus does his best not to speak too loudly. “I’ll go get you some medicine. Just stay here and try to relax, okay? And please eat some more; you could use a bit more food in your belly.”</p><p>After he leaves, I force myself to eat more of his spaghetti. It doesn’t help to fix much, other than the fact that I’m still really hungry. In fact, it mostly makes me feel worse.</p><p><em> “You know, I never noticed before, but you are really scrawny.” </em> Chara appears by my side, and she looks like herself again. <em> “When’s the last time you had an actual meal?” </em></p><p>I look at her, confused. “Not counting today, then it was the last day I spent in the rain.”</p><p>
  <em> “Half of a cinnamon bun is not a meal. It’s barely a snack.” </em>
</p><p>The door to my room opens again, and this time, Papyrus and Kris both come inside. Papyrus looks like he brought the entire medicine cabinet, and Kris is carrying an empty bowl and a cup of water.</p><p>“I wasn't sure which ones were for coughs or upset stomachs, so…” He sets the medicine bottles on my dresser with an embarrassed smile. “I just brought all of them. I was hoping maybe you would know which one’s which?”</p><p>Kris reaches out and sets the bowl on my lap, then picks up a few medicine bottles and opens them effortlessly. They pour some of the contents into the bottle caps and hand them to me, motioning to me that I needed to drink them. I take one and quickly drink it. It doesn’t taste very good. The rest aren’t any better, except for one that tastes like honey. I try to get more of it, but Kris shakes their head.</p><p>“You knew all along?!” Papyrus shouts. “You could have saved us a lot of trouble, you know!”</p><p>Kris just shrugs and sets down the glass of water. I pick it back up and try to take a sip, but it doesn’t taste like water. Instead, the coppery taste of blood fills my mouth. I nearly choke on the liquid in surprise, coughing as I spit it out. My bedsheets stain with the dark red liquid.</p><p>I expect to hear Papyrus or Kris panicking, but they’re strangely silent. Looking up, I realize they’re both gone. All that’s there is a tall, slender creature with a tangled mane and no eyes, just bleeding outlines of where the eyes should have been. Its mouth drips blood as well.</p><p>“Child…” the creature whispers in a low and raspy voice. “Why did you not help us?”</p><p>“I—I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”</p><p>The creature grabs my shoulders and glares down at me. “Last night! We were calling for help! We were starving, child! And you did nothing to help us!”</p><p>I try to back away, but I’m stuck in place. This thing knows about my dream somehow. Is it Chara in disguise? No, it can’t be; she would never try to scare me like this.</p><p>“Why must you hurt your child in this way? All we asked was that you help us!”</p><p>“I’m sorry—”</p><p>“<em>Silence!</em>” The creature looms over me, and blood drips from its eyes and mouth onto my face and chest. “Next time, you will help us. There will be no excuses. Understand, child?”</p><p>I try to call for help, but the beast grabs my chest and rakes it with its claws. I scream in silence as the slashes bleed.</p><p>“Remember, child. Remember this moment the next time you think about refusing to help us!” It lunges at me and clamps its jaws down on my belly. I start coughing, and blood spills from my lips onto the bed with every breath. I call for help, and…</p><p>“Frisk, can you hear me?! Frisk!”</p><p>I open my eyes, and the creature is gone. Papyrus and Kris have returned, and both of them look really scared. The bloodstains that littered the sheets… well, it wasn’t blood I was throwing up.</p><p>“Frisk?” Papyrus gently holds my head. “Are you okay? Can you hear me right now?”</p><p>At least this time I’m not crying ugly tears, but I still feel pathetic. I should be stronger than this, but that weird wolfdog person scared me senseless. I try to calm myself down, finally responding to Papyrus’s question with a shaky nod. He looks relieved.</p><p>“What happened? You looked terrified.”</p><p>My chest emits a faint red light, wavering with fear. “There was—there was a—this wolf thing, and it tried to, to eat me—I was trying to get away but, but it, it attacked—it hurts, it hurts so much…”</p><p>Both of my friends look confused. “Wolf thing? I didn’t see any wolves. Did you, Kris?”</p><p>Kris shakes their head sadly, and it dawns on me—I was the only one seeing whatever just happened. The wolfdog’s words were only for me. The thought scares me even more, and my tears come down harder. Cold, terrified, and alone with my memories of the beast, I curl into a ball and sob.</p><p>“Come on, Kris,” he whispers. “I think we should give her a moment.” The door closes, leaving me all by myself for real. The words of the wolf-dog echo in my mind.</p><p>
  <em> Remember this moment the next time you think about refusing to help us! </em>
</p><p>I should have explained that I fell before I could find it. Maybe then it would have understood. I could have saved myself from the vision of my own death, but I was too scared, too much of a coward to do anything!</p><p>I find that it happens much more often than I’d like.</p><hr/><p>“Hello, your majesties? It’s Papyrus. I’m calling about Frisk. She’s gotten worse. She told me that she got attacked by a wolf, but there was never a wolf there.”</p><p>“That does not make any sense.”</p><p>“Exactly! But it feels off. This whole thing doesn’t feel right. Something tells me this isn’t because she’s sick.”</p><p>“You mean…”</p><p>“Unfortunately, I do. Somebody’s using magic to mess with her.”</p><p>“But who would do such a thing?!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Those who Use Magic</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Fucking humans,” Dharma growls as she rummages through her purse. “Ever since we came to the surface, it’s been humans this and humans that! ‘Will the humans let us stay?’ ‘What will the humans think of our traditions?’ The humans, the humans, the god damn humans! I’m sick of it!”</p><p>I absentmindedly nibble on the edge of my notebook. “Yeah, it’s pretty stupid. Can’t do anything without being all like ‘wait, what would the humans think if they saw this?’ Isn’t this kind of thing what got us into the Underground in the first place?”</p><p>“Exactly!” The old critter straightens her glasses. “We didn’t fight back for nearly half of the war because we were so worried that the humans would start seeing us as savages!” She smiles and begins ruffling my hair. “I knew you were listening to me during my lectures.”</p><p>Annoyed, I push her hands off. “You know I hate when you do that.”</p><p>“Oh, come off it, Susie. You call me ‘old critter’ all the time; you don’t see me complaining!” Dharma laughs so hard she snorts. “Well, if you wanna take a walk, I suggest you get going, dear. And remember to—”</p><p>“Keep away from humans,” I interrupt. It’s the same thing every time. “I know, Dharma.”</p><p>“Buh-bye now, sweetie!” She waves her tattered wing goodbye with a stupid smile on her face. I step outside and close the door. </p><p>It’s embarrassing to know I’m related to her. Sure, she’s smart as hell, but she’s also annoying and overbearing. I always wonder if she’s ever heard of personal space. When you’ve lived as long as Dharma, you’d have to have heard it at least once.</p><p>“Stupid lizard,” I mutter as I start walking around the neighborhood.</p><p>I like it when the streets are quiet. It reminds me of my old home back in Waterfall. Out here, though, you can see <em>real </em>stars, and they’re a hell of a lot better. I remember the wish I made on one of the wishing stones back underground.</p><p><em> I wanna see a real star someday. </em> I was so young and stupid then, but I can’t help but smile at the thought. Guess wishes really <em>can </em>come true.</p><p>I laugh so hard at the thought I almost spew fire. I can be so fucking childish sometimes.</p><hr/><p>“Frisk?”</p><p>I’ve been at the park by the mountain’s base for ages, but Frisk is nowhere to be found. Then again, it’s been a week since I saw her last, so she’s probably gone home by now. The closer I think I’m getting to finding her, the more complicated things get.</p><p>Now I need to find her house. There are at least sixty houses near the park alone! By the time I find her, it could be too late!</p><p>I burrow beneath the ground again and pop out in front of a small house. If I’m gonna waste an eternity looking for Frisk, I might as well get it started early. I press a vine to the doorbell and wait for the response. Nobody answers.</p><p>I sigh. Why do these things always end up so much harder than they need to be?</p><p>For almost an hour, I go from house to house hoping to find somebody who’ll at least know where she lives. Maybe if I get lucky, I’ll find her house, but I doubt that’s gonna happen.</p><p>I feel like giving up by the time I reach the last house on the block. A really tall lady opens the door and looks around for whoever rang the bell.</p><p>“Down here,” I say, a little annoyed.</p><p>She looks down and sees me, and a look of disgust crosses her face for a moment before she corrects herself. “Oh,” she mutters just loud enough for me to hear. “A flower.”</p><p>“Listen, lady, I don’t like this any more than you do, but I have a problem. I’m looking for a girl named Frisk, and I was wondering if you knew where she was?”</p><p>She gasps, and her eyes light up. “You’re looking for her too?!”</p><p>“Too?”</p><p>“That girl you’re looking for? She’s my daughter! She went missing two months ago; I’ve been worried sick about her!”</p><p>I almost don’t believe her. It feels too convenient, but it could be my only chance to find Frisk. Besides, I have a feeling she’ll want to be with her mom again. I sigh and turn to face the road.</p><p>“Where did you see her last?”</p><hr/><p>“Starving One!”</p><p>The lanky beast staggers toward me, shaking furiously to try and escape their confines. The Greater Darknesses force them to kneel, and they glance up at me with bewilderment and betrayal in their toxic eyes. “Master,” they plead, “spare our lives! We have seen something that you will love for sure!”</p><p>I conjure a halberd in my hand. “Starving One, I have given you more than your fair share of chances to prove your worth. Time and time again, you have gone against my orders to pursue your own sinful, perverse desires.” I send the weapon to press against their throat. “There is no reason you could give me to excuse your actions of late.”</p><p>“But Master, we found <em>them! </em>”</p><p>I pull the halberd back a bit. “Who do you mean?”</p><p>“The sacred one! The one who birthed us! We found the Dreamer Eternally Plagued by Nightmares!”</p><p>“Not possible,” I growl, pressing the halberd and shifting it to the side. A tiny stream of black blood spills onto the stone floors. “I have proven far too many times that the Dreamer has not yet been reborn. I am not sure if they even exist.”</p><p>“They <em>do </em>exist! We saw them in their dream! We came to them in a vision! They were reborn as a human girl, tormented by haunting memories!”</p><p>I do not want to believe the Starving One. They have been known to trick others to get closer to achieving their own goals. Yet, I know how important it is for us to find the Dreamer. “Shattered One!” I cry.</p><p>Shattered One smiles as he appears by my side. “Yes, your majesty?”</p><p>“Open a window to the Lightworld. I wish to see something.”</p><p>“As you wish,” he says with an eerie grin. With a wave of his splintered hand, a vortex opens, allowing us all to gaze into the Lightworld.</p><p>“Show me the Dreamer,” I command the vortex. The abstract image within it wavers, before displaying an image of a human girl, around eight, lying asleep in a small bed. </p><p>“Starving One was right,” I murmur in disbelief. “The Dreamer is reborn.”</p><p>“You see, Master?” Starving One smiles. “We would not lie to you!”</p><p>“Silence, wretch.” I press the halberd to their throat again. “You have proven yourself… loyal, for a change. Very well.” The weapon and shackles containing them vanish as if they were never there. Nervous, Starving One pushes themself to their feet. “We will spare you for now. And you have our permission to continue to interact with the Dreamer—<em> if</em>, and <em>only </em>if, you confine yourself to her dreamscape. I will send out separate Darknesses to become visions.”</p><p>“Thank you, thank you so much!” Starving One cries as they flee the tower on all fours. Ignoring them, I turn to face Shattered One.</p><p>“Begin the entry of the Darkworld,” I tell him. “We must have our world be accessible to the Dreamer as soon as possible.”</p><p>“As you wish.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. The Search</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’m telling you, she’s not here.”</p><p>This is something like the fifth time I’ve tried to convince Frisk’s mom that we’re wasting our time. Rain from the past few days has soaked the ground absolutely everywhere; at least this way it’s easier to burrow through it, but this is no consolation at all.</p><p>The more I think about it, the more I think I should have just stayed put and not bothered looking for her—it was just that Chara was acting weird, and I thought maybe she was going to hurt Frisk. <em> Finish what we started so long ago… </em> Chara had been hoping that our little escapade on the surface would spark another war against all of humanity. She’s always hated humans. Even if she isn’t planning a war, whatever she was referring to doesn’t sound like a good thing.</p><p>“Are you actually trying to tell me that Faith isn’t going to be where I told her to be until I came back?” the human says, her voice dripping with impatience and disgust.</p><p>“Yes,” I sigh, irritated. “You are so bad at listening, it’s not even funny.”</p><p>“Ugh.” She blinks a lot as the wind starts billowing in her face. “All I ask is that she listens for once, and of course she doesn’t do it. Why does she have to be so irritating?”</p><p>Honestly, it irritates me too. Frisk has never been a good listener, even when it comes to the Queen herself. Then again, if she’d listened, she probably never would have left that corridor in the Ruins. A blessing and a curse.</p><p>I’ll have to search even harder if I wanna figure out where she is and get her back where she belongs. But I don’t fully trust this lady—Veronica, she said her name is. From the sound of it she’s… well, I won’t say she’s nice, but she’s a decent human. A little rude, sure, but it might just be because she’s lost her kid. Her attitude isn’t the problem, though. My problem is that she seems to have a very finicky view of Frisk. One second she’s praying for her safety, the next she’s promising to make her regret ever deciding to go against her. (Veronica’s words, not mine.) It sort of makes me wonder if Frisk’s own emotional instability might have something to do with her mother’s.</p><p>Also, she’s got a weird thing against monsters. She’s already driven off four who came to ask what we were doing. I had to tell her to let me do the talking from then on. It’s a good thing I did, because somebody’s headed this way, and they definitely aren’t human.</p><p>“Oh great,” Veronica says sarcastically. “Another monster. Wonder what they want?”</p><p>“Hey!” I shout to her. “As much as I love your sarcasm, you need to shut it. They could probably help us if we just ask, you know? Plus, maybe they’ve seen Frisk!”</p><p>Veronica crosses her arms and pouts. “Her name is Faith,” she growls. I ignore her and start digging my way to the monster. I pop out of the ground next to the sidewalk, right beside them.</p><p>“Excuse me—”</p><p>The monster, a dragon whelp with long aubergine hair covering her eyes, growls in surprise and swats at me with her talons.</p><p>“Ow! What the hell?!”</p><p>“Hey,” the dragon says with an irritated look, “you startled me. You were pretty much asking for it.”</p><p>I almost respond, but then I realize she does have a fair point. I calm down and tell her so. “Listen,” I add, “I was wondering if you knew where to find a girl named Frisk—”</p><p>“<em>It’s</em> <em>Faith!</em>”</p><p>I glare at Veronica. “...<em>Faith</em>. A girl named <em> Faith</em>.” I emphasize every part of the name so Veronica can understand how irritated I am. Turning back to face the dragon, I continue. “You might know her as that kid who broke the barrier.”</p><p>The dragon laughs, revealing all of her sharp, yellowed teeth. I was always a bit nervous around dragons; they always look ready to take a bite out of you, even when they’re happy. “Oh, you didn’t hear?” She takes a few breaths to try and calm down, still fighting laughter as she continues. “She’s with the royal family. Apparently, her last parents left her for dead at this park. How wild is that?”</p><p>She smiles, and I swear I can feel Veronica glaring knives at her. The dragon turns in her direction and suddenly looks nervous. “Hey, that human’s giving me a dirty look. Did I accidentally just insult the kid’s parents in front of the kid’s parents?”</p><p>I try not to turn around myself. “Maybe.”</p><p>“Well, shit. I gotta go.” She turns around and starts running off.</p><p>“Wait!” I call after her. “Can you at least tell us where the royal family lives?”</p><p>“It’s two blocks down from here!”</p><p>The dragon disappears over the horizon. Veronica and I stay where we are for a bit longer before she walks up to me. “Well, what are you waiting for?! Let’s get going already!”</p><p>“Okay, lady, calm down!” I snap at her. “We’re going, alright?! We’ll get your kid.”</p><p>There’s a brief silence between us.</p><p>“How far are two blocks again?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Reunited</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Papyrus put me in charge of watching Frisk while he went to make some more food for her. I try to avoid looking directly at her. After what happened yesterday, I don’t know how she’ll feel about me. She doesn’t look like the kind of kid who holds a grudge, but looks can be deceiving.</p><p>“K… Kris?”</p><p>I turn to face her, keeping my eyes hidden from view.</p><p>“Can I ask you a question?”</p><p>I nod silently. She grabs the edge of her blankets tightly, hiding her face from view.</p><p>“Why did you want my SOUL?”</p><p>I knew it. She won’t let this go. Defeated, I just shrug, shaking my head. “Look,” I say, “I already said I’m sorry, so—”</p><p>Frisk places her hands on her chest and gently presses down with her fingertips; a red glow starts shining inside of her. She brings her hands forward and pulls out her SOUL, the light from it flickering like it could die at any moment.</p><p>“It’s okay,” she says, smiling sadly. “If you want to have it, you can.”</p><p>“Wait, you can’t—you need to keep that! I can’t take your SOUL, even if I want to. It belongs to you. You can’t get rid of something that important, okay?”</p><p>Frisk sighs and allows her SOUL to return to her body. “I knew it,” she mutters. “You’re just like all the others.”</p><p>Just as I’m about to ask what she means, Papyrus opens the door and pokes his head in. “Hey, Kris?” He looks nervous and, for once, is using a more quiet voice. “I want you to come with me for a second. Somebody’s at the door, but it isn’t the King or Queen.”</p><p>That sounds suspicious. I turn to Frisk and mouth the words “wait here” to her, then follow Papyrus to the entrance of the house.</p><p>Looking through the peephole, I see a tall and slender woman with long blonde hair, wearing a simple black tank top and a pair of blue jeans. She has a purse slung over her shoulder, and her face is lined with either worry or anger—I can’t tell which. Beside her, popping out of a crack in the porch, a tiny flower with a goat-like face is resting on one of its leaves impatiently.</p><p>Papyrus looks at me, and I nod. He opens the door with a gigantic grin on his face. “Greetings, human! What brings you here?”</p><p>The lady reaches a hand inside of her purse and rummages through it. “I’m looking for my daughter, and this little flower told me you might know where she is.” She pulls out a small photo of her standing next to a scrawny kid, around eight, with dark brown hair and a striped one-piece outfit. My heart skips a beat as I recognize the girl in the photo. “Her name is—”</p><p>Papyrus’s eyesockets widen in surprise. “Frisk is your daughter?!”</p><p>The woman’s eyes light up, and a smile appears on her face. “So you have seen her! Thank goodness! I've been looking everywhere for her! Where is she now?”</p><p>“Oh, she mentioned you were going to come back to find her, but there was no way she was going to be able to survive on her own. So, in your absence, the king and queen have been taking care of her! I hope you don't mind.”</p><p>“No, it’s fine! I’m just happy to hear that Faith is okay! Can I see her?”</p><p>Papyrus’s expression becomes a bit somber. “Sorry,” he says to the woman, “no can do. Frisk is very sick right now, and I’ve been told that humans don’t have a natural immunity to catching illness like we monsters do. Do you think you could come back another time? I could keep in touch with you and let you know when she’s all better!”</p><p>The worried mother looks at Papyrus and me mournfully, and I swear I can see tears in her eyes. “Please? I haven’t seen her in months; I at least want to be able to say hi to her.”</p><p>There’s a brief silence between us.</p><p>“Well,” Papyrus finally says, “okay. I suppose that I, the great Papyrus, can allow an exception this time. Just try not to touch her, okay? Other than that, make yourself at home! I’ll be sure to let their majesties know you’ve arrived!”</p><p>“Thank you, thank you so much!” She hugs Papyrus and me so tightly, I feel like I might pop. Then, she rushes inside without saying another word to either of us. Papyrus turns his attention to the flower.</p><p>“Tiny flower!” He smiles like he’s meeting a friend he hasn’t seen for a long time. “I was wondering what happened to you! How have you been?!”</p><p>I leave the two of them to continue their conversation and follow Frisk’s mom up the stairs and into her room. She pushes the door open quietly and walks in, nervously eyeing her sick daughter. Frisk is facing the wall opposite to us, breathing heavily and coughing; luckily, she doesn’t seem any worse than she was before.</p><p>“Faith?”</p><p>Frisk turns around, eyes glossy with tears, and she stops breathing when she sees her visitor.</p><p>“Mom?!”</p><p>“Faith!” Her mother runs towards her and picks her up off the bed, spinning her in the air. “Oh, I’ve missed you so much! You had me worried sick!” She pulls Frisk close to her chest, which Frisk grabs with an iron grip. “Is everything okay? Did anything bad happen while you were missing?”</p><p>Frisk doesn’t even answer the question. Her chest heaves with sobs as she buries herself in the woman’s shirt. “I knew you’d come back! I just… I just knew it!”</p><p>Her mom’s face loses its once cheerful expression, becoming sterner. “Faith,” she says in a voice that’s much too calm, “answer my question. Were you hurt in any way while you were gone?”</p><p>“I fell down the mountain, but I’m okay now! And I made lots of new—”</p><p>The woman pulls Frisk off of her with relative ease and sets her back on the bed before she can finish her sentence. “You left the waiting spot?”</p><p>Frisk starts backing away from her mom, looking fearful. “I’m sorry, mom. I was just so tired of waiting, and it had been so long, and…” Her voice trails off as if she isn’t sure if she should say whatever was coming next. When she notices her mother’s glare, though, she immediately picks the chat back up with “It won’t ever happen again, mom. I promise.”</p><p>“It better not!” The mom slams the dresser as she shouts; Frisk and I both flinch at the sudden outburst. “You know how dangerous it is outside the waiting spot! You could have gotten yourself killed!” She continues to bang on the dresser, never once taking her gaze off her terrified daughter. “Listen to what you’re told next time, Faith. I don’t know what I’d do if you were killed.”</p><p>Frisk buries her face in her hands and begins to cry. “I’m sorry,” she whimpers, “I’m so sorry…”</p><p>Something sparks inside of me. Maybe I’m just tired of Frisk’s crying, or her mother’s attitude, but something feels terribly wrong with this. </p><p>Something tells me that Frisk will only get worse with her mother around.</p><hr/><p>“I’m telling you, it’s a bad idea!”</p><p>Papyrus shoots me a bewildered look. “What do you mean, Kris? Veronica is such a nice lady!”</p><p>I shake my head. “You haven’t seen the way she acts with Frisk. She is not going to be better off with that lady, she’s only going to get even worse!”</p><p>Toriel puts a paw on my shoulder and sighs. “Kris, you have to understand that Frisk—er… Faith…” She tries to accustom herself to Frisk’s real name before continuing. “Faith is Veronica’s child, not ours. Ultimately, we do not have much of a say in the matter.”</p><p>“Well, you should! You two care about her more than Veronica does!”</p><p>Asgore rises to his full height and looks down at me and Papyrus. “We have already agreed to return her once she is healthy. If what you say turns out to be true, then, and only then, we will discuss our next course of action.”</p><p>Papyrus grabs my arm. “We should go now,” he whispers to me. I fight against his pull, trying to reach out to the royal monsters.</p><p>“Please, your majesties, you have to believe me!”</p><p>Toriel’s gaze follows us as we leave the house. Smiling, she says “Thank you both for watching over Faith while we were out.”</p><p>“Wait—” I try to run back inside, but the door has already been closed, and I run into it face first. I turn around and see that Papyrus is already heading back home.</p><p>“Huh.” The tiny flower on the ground looks at me smugly. “Guess your intuition isn't as bad as your haircut after all.”</p><p>“Hey!”</p><p>“What? That was a compliment!” He flashes an innocent smile with two prominent fangs.</p><p>“Sure it was.” I start preparing to leave myself, but then the flower’s expression becomes serious.</p><p>“Okay, you’re getting sidetracked. Seems like you and I have the same suspicions about Veronica.”</p><p>I stop for a minute, wondering what kind of elaborate prank he might want to pull on me. I decide to play along and find out. “Where are you going with this?”</p><p>“You’ll see. And trust me, you’ll love it.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. A Dreemurr's Kindness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This one's a little short, but I needed to update this story with one last chapter before the Return arc ends. Chapter 12 marks the beginning of the Savior arc, so stay tuned!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A dense silence sits between Chara and me as she sits on the bed beside me. It feels like we’re separate armies preparing to go to war with each other. Chara’s face is downcast as anger, hurt, distrust and sadness flash across her eyes, battling for dominance as she tries to understand what it is she’s feeling. I want to apologize, I really do, but I’m worried about what might happen if I disturb her right now.</p><p>Chara turns around, meeting my gaze for the first time since Mom left the room a few minutes ago. She opens her mouth to say something but gives up with a sigh. Her thoughts must be really scattered if she can’t even speak. I sigh quietly as I continue to look at her.</p><p>I didn’t think I’d be hurting her when I hid my name. If I’d known how much it would hurt her, I would have just told her. Now, as always, I’ve caused things to get worse. I created this rift between us.</p><p><em> “Faith,” </em> Chara finally says. I flinch at my own name; the sound of it coming from Chara is like knives stabbing my very being. <em> “I know that you don’t have to tell me anything, but… why your whole identity?” </em></p><p>“I’m sorry, Chara.” She doesn’t respond; instead, she turns away with an expression that makes my heart ache. “I never meant to hurt you…”</p><p><em> “Was anything you said actually true?” </em> she asks without turning back around. Her eyes start leaking a strange dark liquid. <em> “Or did you just lie to all of us about everything? Was it all just a ruse so you could start betraying us—betraying </em> me<em>?! Make us suffer all over again?!” </em></p><p>I start shaking, partly from the cold and partly from fear and hurt. “It wasn’t a lie, okay?! I wasn’t trying to hurt anyone! I just wanted to feel better!” I shut my eyes tightly, trying to hide the fact that I’m on the verge of tears.</p><p>
  <em> “How would lying about who you are make you feel better?” </em>
</p><p>I wipe my eyes dry with my sleeve. “Mom called me frisky once. It was the only time she called me something other than my name. It felt… nice.”</p><p><em> “So you pretended that was your name?” </em> Chara looks back at me, confused. <em> “Why?” </em></p><p>For the first time since Mom left the room, I smile. “I think Faith died when she fell down the mountain, ‘cause I’m not really the same person I was before I fell. I think Frisk fits me better now.”</p><p>For a moment, everything returns to silence before Chara finally breaks it. <em> “Promise me you’re telling the truth?” </em></p><p>“Of course!”</p><p>She smiles, and her appearance returns to normal. <em> “...okay,” </em> she says teasingly. <em> “I suppose that works. But if I find out you’re an escaped convict or something, you’re gonna get it!” </em> She tousles my hair, and I laugh. <em> “Now get some sleep; it’s really late.” </em></p><p>I pull the blankets back up to my face. “Goodnight, Chara.”</p><p>
  <em> “Goodnight, Frisk.” </em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em> “Just hold on a minute, okay? I’ll make you something to eat.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I wait at the table as Alphys rummages through several cabinets, preparing to make dinner. “I’m not, uh, I’m not the best cook, but I’ll try my best. How do you feel about, uh, ramen noodles?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “That sounds great,” I say with a smile. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Perfect!” She smiles back and quickly sets off to make the ramen. I lay my head down and close my eyes, hoping to get a bit of rest before she finishes; suddenly, I hear Alphys hiss in pain. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Ow! Damn knives!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> A damp, metallic scent fills the air. For some reason, it makes me even hungrier. </em>
</p><p>Child,<em> a familiar voice echoes in my mind, </em>do you smell that? That is the scent of freshly drawn blood. Does it not make your mouth water? Are you not starving? The food is already finished. See?</p><p>
  <em> Without even thinking about it, I turn to face Alphys. Her thumb is bleeding, but she continues to work on dinner despite it. My hands move on their own, holding a knife that doesn’t exist. </em>
</p><p>Come now, child.<em> I shake my head to try and get rid of the wolfdog’s words, but it doesn’t work; they keep talking to me. </em>Use the power you have learned. Grant yourself a weapon.</p><p>
  <em> A faint red light appears between my hands, swelling and brightening until a dagger made of pure magic is in my grasp, pointing towards Alphys. </em>
</p><p>Perfect. Now, child, strike!</p><p>
  <em> I start shaking. I don’t want to hurt her, but some strange force is compelling me to lunge forward and attack with every intent to kill. I close my eyes and force myself to turn away. I can’t let this creature win. </em>
</p><p>Why do you hesitate? <em>Their voice drips with impatience and fury. </em>All you have to do is plunge the dagger into the heart of your child!</p><p>
  <em> I hear Alphys approaching too clearly, and the sound of a ceramic bowl clinking against the table rings in my ears much longer than it should. “The ramen’s ready now,” she says, her voice practically deafening. “It’s not the best, but I hope you like it.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Alphys--” I try to warn her, but my voice cuts off, leaving me shouting silent words of warning to nobody. The wolfdog’s voice howls at me one last time: </em>
</p><p>Strike!</p><p>
  <em> I run the knife through Alphys’s chest before I can even try and resist. Tears streak down my face as the warmth of her blood envelops my hands.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You…” She’s too stunned to respond. “Why… How could you…”</em>
</p><p></p><div class="">
  <p>There. It is done! Now, feed!</p>
  <p><em>I bite through her scales into the soft flesh below. The taste of pure bliss fills my mouth. </em> <em>I'm no longer in control of my own body; the words of the vile creature are forcing me to bite into the body of my friend over and over, tearing her apart until her body dissolves, leaving only dust behind. I cry, lying limp on top of the bloody corpse, bloated and alone and…</em></p>
  <p>
    <em> …somehow, void of guilt.</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Faith? Is everything alright?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Screaming, I fall into someone’s arms. I start crying out, trying to break free of their grip, but it doesn’t work. They’re too strong, and I’m too hurt.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>A strange vibration comes from whoever’s holding me. I hear a quiet noise filling the air…</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“<em>When the light is running low and the shadows start to grow, a</em><em>nd the places that you know seem like fantasy…</em>”</p>
  <p>I know this song. It’s the lullaby that Toriel once sang to me before bed. She's the one holding me; that’s why I feel her soft, fluffy fur. I relax into the embrace, and the pain starts to drip from my body like water. I gather the courage to open my eyes. Glancing above, I see Toriel; her eyes are closed, but she’s still focused on me. I’m safe now. Closing my eyes again, I let myself sink into the melody.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“<em>There’s a light inside your SOUL that’s still shining in the cold with the truth; the promise in our heart…</em>” Toriel strokes my head, and somehow, I can tell she’s smiling. “<em>Don’t forget…</em>”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Tears well in my eyes and my breaths are shaky. “You’re… you’re with me in the dark.” I fall limp in her arms, exhausted from fear, sorrow, and struggling… I can’t help it. I start crying, and I hold her robe as tight as I can, tethering myself to the safety of her presence. She gently lifts me, and we head towards the living room.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“There, there, small one. It is okay. I am right here with you.”</p>
  <hr/>
  <p>“What were you dreaming about? You were shouting…”</p>
  <p>Toriel and Asgore are sitting on opposite sides of me as I cry. My thoughts are everywhere; I can barely string them together to create a coherent sentence among my terrified blubbers. “I--I ate her! I ate her!”</p>
  <p>Asgore looks surprised. “Ate who?” he asks. “You need to be more specific.”</p>
  <p>“Alphys! I didn't mean to! I didn't, I didn't want to! The wolfdog made me do it!”</p>
  <p>“Shh,” Toriel whispers as she strokes my back. “It was just a bad dream. Just a dream, all right? None of it was real.”</p>
  <p>I shake my head and try to sniff the snot and tears back, wiping my face on my sleeve. “I’m so scared… I can’t, I can’t stop seeing it. It was so… so real…”</p>
  <p>Asgore lifts me and sets me on his lap, drying the rest of my tears with his paw. “Do you want to go back to sleep, or shall I make you a cup of tea?”</p>
  <p>For a moment, I’m not sure what to do. This whole thing feels off somehow. Shouldn’t they be mad at me for waking them up in the middle of the night? Shouldn’t I be punished for that? Toriel and Asgore have always had really different rules from Mom. It never feels right, but it feels… safer, freer. I feel like I can trust them with more things than I could trust Mom with. I politely tell Asgore I’d like some tea, and he sets me down on top of Toriel. Still tired despite the horrible nightmare, I lay down against her chest. I could never do this with Mom; I’d never hear the end of it if I tried. I guess it’s just one more thing I’ll miss when I finally go back home where I belong.</p>
  <p>I still belong with Mom… don’t I?</p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Blood Runs Thick</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You know,” Flowey mutters, “I was kinda hoping for something exciting to happen.”</p><p>I nod in agreement. You’d think after two weeks somebody would have left the house, but apparently, that isn’t the case with Frisk’s family. To confirm our suspicions, Flowey and I have been coming to Frisk’s house every day to see if anything weird happens.</p><p>“How long do you think it’s gonna take for someone to leave this place and, I dunno, get some groceries or something? It can’t be <em> that </em> much longer, can it?”</p><p>I just shrug. “We’ll have to find out, I guess.”</p><p>Annoyed, Flowey groans and plants his face in the ground. “I can’t take this waiting anymore. Let’s just go up there and knock.”</p><p>“Fine. But you’re gonna have to do the talking.”</p><p>“Deal.” The two of us head up to the porch, and I knock on the door.</p><p>It isn’t long before Veronica answers. She smiles at the sight of Flowey. “Hey, it’s you!” She steps outside and closes the door behind her. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>Flowey motions to me with one of his leaves. “Kris and I were just wondering how Frisk is doing. We haven’t heard from her in a while.”</p><p>“Well, that’s no surprise. <em> Faith </em> is pretty shy; being around people makes her nervous.” She makes sure to heavily enunciate Frisk’s real name, hoping to get us to say it.</p><p>Flowey and I exchange confused glances. “That doesn’t sound like her at all,” I say quietly.</p><p>“Yeah, the kid I knew hated being alone, not being surrounded.” Flowey looks at Veronica with an accusing expression. “Seems kinda suspicious how what you said directly contradicts the truth, doesn’t it, Veronica?”</p><p>Upon hearing this, Veronica drops her once cheerful attitude and becomes stern. “Listen, you, don’t take that tone with me.”</p><p>I sigh. “Can you at least let us see her?”</p><p>“Sorry, no can do. She’s taking a nap right now. Maybe later today, you can come back?”</p><p>Flowey squints at her as he prepares to leave. “Sure thing, V,” he says. Together, we walk off the porch and head to the sidewalk.</p><p>“Bye now!” Veronica smiles and waves us goodbye, then walks back inside the house. The two of us continue to look at the house, wondering what’s going to happen behind those walls.</p><p>“She’s super suspicious,” Flowey says to me.</p><p>“Agreed.”</p><hr/><p>My room is small and mostly empty, except for my bed and the little desk beside it. A lamp that I only use at night sits on top of the desk, dusty from months of being untouched. I curl up underneath the thin blankets and try to stay warm. I hate how cold my room gets. It makes me wish I could be back with Toriel and Asgore. The room they made for me was warmer and the bed had heavier blankets and I even had a cute little dresser.</p><p>I must have gotten pretty spoiled while I was with them. Normally, I’d be perfectly fine with this room.</p><p>Even though I know I’m supposed to be taking a nap, I can’t seem to fall asleep. Whenever I start drifting off, a memory of the monsters pulls me back awake. Something about them keeps bothering me. Not in a bad way, but...</p><p>I hear Mom’s footsteps coming up the stairs. She opens the door to my room and looks at me with disappointment written all over her face. “Your little monster friends came to say hi just now, and I really didn’t like their attitudes.”</p><p>I close my eyes and turn away a little bit. “I’m sorry, mom. I—”</p><p>She bangs on the wall, and I flinch away. “Don’t interrupt me! You should know better by now! This isn’t a you-and-me conversation, this is an I’m-talking-to-you-so-you-better-shut-up-and-listen conversation! Understand?!”</p><p>Trembling, and not wanting to anger her any further, I nod.</p><p>“Good. Now, as I was saying, your ‘friends’ have really bad attitudes. I don’t think you should be spending so much time with them, Faith.”</p><p>“But mom—” The moment I say it, I instantly regret my decision.</p><p>“What did I just say about interrupting?!” Mom stomps closer to me until I can almost feel the anger radiating from her. Instead of hurting me, though, she turns around and starts leaving. “You know what? I’m sick of having this conversation with you. Maybe a night without dinner will get it through your thick head!”</p><p>“I’m sorry!”</p><p>“It’s too late for that! Now, shut your mouth before I cancel tomorrow’s breakfast too!”</p><p>It takes all of my strength, but I bite my lip and manage to hold back my sobs. Instinctively, I curl inwards on myself, protecting myself from threats that aren’t there. An almost silence hangs heavily in the air before Mom finally breaks it.</p><p>“Go to bed, Faith. Now!”</p><p>She slams the door behind her as she leaves. I wait a few moments before finally letting out my cries—quietly, in case she’s still listening.</p><p>
  <em> “You have to get out of here.” </em>
</p><p>I turn to face the spirit, not caring about the fact that I’m essentially a blubbering mess. “But I worked so hard to come back, Chara.”</p><p>
  <em> “And for what? To be treated like this?! You have to realize this is not okay! You deserve better, Frisk.” </em>
</p><p>I pick at the bandage on my arm, considering taking it off and adding to the collection of scars underneath it so I won’t have to focus on my inner demons. “Do I really, though?”</p><p><em> “Don’t start self-deprecating now. You absolutely deserve better. If I thought otherwise, I would have left you behind a long time ago. I stayed because of </em>you<em>. Not because of anything else. It’s because of </em>you <em>that I’m still here. And I will not let you act like you’re anything less than what you are! You’re the Angel of the freaking Prophecy!” </em></p><p>“Chara, I’m no angel.” I look outside the window at all the other houses on the street. Mom’s friends live in those houses; all of them, except miss Amber, know what I’m really like. “Just ask anyone who knew me before I fell. If anything, I’m the spawn of a demon. I’m lucky Mom even cares enough to keep me around.”</p><p>Chara’s tone of voice becomes more agitated, and she looks like she’s trying to explain something I can’t understand. <em> “She </em>doesn’t <em>care, Frisk! You know who does care? Toriel and Asgore and Papyrus and Alphys and all the other monsters!” </em></p><p>“How could they care?!” I wrap my arms around my legs and bury my face in my knees. My shoulders shake as I continue crying. “All I’ve ever done is mess everything up! I just got lucky when I fought Asriel! I’m just an extra weight for everyone to carry; they’d all be better off without me!”</p><p><em> “No, they…” </em> Chara’s voice trails off. <em> “Frisk… I’m scared to ask, but I need to know. What do you mean ‘without you’?” </em></p><p>I don’t really pay attention to what she says; at this point, I’ve become a slave to my dark thoughts. “I should have never been part of anyone’s life. I should have stayed in hell where I <em> really </em>belong… should have <em>died </em>when I fell down that stupid mountain… I keep messing everything up! I can’t even fix my mistakes right! I…”</p><p>A sudden warmth envelops me. <em> “Shh,” </em> Chara whispers. <em> “You’re okay. You’re right here. Just focus on me for a second, okay?” </em> Shaking, I pull my face up and look at her. All I really see is her shoulder; she’s pulled me into an awkward hug. <em> “Focus on my voice. Ignore everything else, just focus on my voice. You can do that, right?” </em></p><p>Still crying and unsure where she’s going with this, I nod. I just want something to distract me from the bad thoughts that have overrun my mind.</p><p><em> “Okay.” </em> She stops hugging me so she can look me in the eyes, but she keeps her hands intertwined with mine. <em> “Just listen to the sound of my voice. That’s all you have to do. You don’t have to pay any attention to what I’m saying, you just need to remember that I’m here. You just need to listen. I’m right here. I’ll always be right here…” </em>Eventually, her words start to blend into each other and I can't tell what she’s saying anymore. I find myself staring blankly into her rusty eyes as she whispers her words of encouragement.</p><p><em> “...and, and it’s all gonna be great, okay?” </em> She grabs a tighter hold on my hands, taking deep breaths and trying not to let herself get upset. <em> “You’re never a burden, and you’re never worthless. You’re not a demon, you’re just a kid. We’re both… just kids…” </em></p><p>And that’s all she says. I want to say something back, but instead, I just hug her and start crying.</p><p>I know she wants to help, but she can’t understand this. I don’t think anyone could understand what it’s like hopelessly standing against the harsh, cold world and having to deal with it by crying yourself to sleep.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Things Don’t Breathe When They Sleep In Snow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I feel like I should include a warning for this chapter, since there's actual self-harm in this one close to the end. You'll know you've reached it once the story mentions a knife in a small backpack. Stay safe, guys. —Sera</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em> The terror—like a </em> scream <em>inside me— </em></p><p>
  <em> “I don’t wanna go back! I don’t wanna go back!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I try to run, but I’m not fast enough to escape. Screaming and flailing, I struggle relentlessly against the forces holding me. I can’t go back! I fought to escape that place, and I refuse to return to the hell they put me through! </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I can feel the change starting… with my heart beating like a drum, the burning venom flowing through my veins senses the tension I’m in. I scream in agony, and it becomes the horrible sound of my inner demons. I clutch my head, desperately trying to suppress my raging emotions so the change doesn’t start, but it’s already too late. I’ve let myself get out of control, and now the horrible beast inside me is the one in charge. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> A vicious fire blazes inside my body. I start to claw at my burning eyes, but all it does is worsen my pain. Every breath I take fills my lungs with blood; I can feel my insides splitting apart and rearranging in painful, twisted ways. Barely holding on to my consciousness, I struggle free from the grip holding me, coughing up impossible amounts of blood. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I try to crawl as far away from here as possible, my hands scraping the floor as they drag along it. My skin shudders as my breathing becomes more animalistic. I open my mouth to scream, but all that comes out is a bloodcurdling, inhuman howl. My teeth lengthen and sharpen, slicing through my lips as if they were butter. I’m falling apart, ripping my own flesh off my body wherever it isn’t shredded by the painful transformation. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The force from before grabs me again, dragging me across the ground with ease as I desperately try to break free. “Don’t take me back!” I cry. “Don’t take me back there! I don’t wanna go back there! Don’t make me go!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> There’s no response except the coldness of wind billowing against me and my captor. It doesn’t deter me; I keep howling and struggling until I finally hear their voice: </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Shut your mouth and get yourself together!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “I don’t wanna go back!” I bury my claws in the ground and try one last time to break away. “I don’t wanna go back!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The captor sighs. “I can’t believe the things I have to put up with. Why did I have to get a monster like you?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Please don’t take me there! I don’t wanna go! Please! I promise I’ll listen! I’ll never misbehave again! Just please don’t take me there—” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Are you deaf?” They throw me against a wall in a fit of anger, having lost their patience for my actions long ago. “I said get yourself together!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Whimpering in terror and trying not to cry, I push myself off the floor into a sitting position. The shadowy figure of my captor glares at me, a small knife in their hand. They lift it, twirling it around with a sinister smile. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “You like knives so much, huh? Let’s see if I can change that.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Without any further warning, they lunge at me and drive the blade into my chest, creating a vicious wound. I scream, but they clamp my mouth shut and tell me that the more noise I make, the worse my punishment will be. They twist the knife around a little bit, then pull it out of my chest, and something comes over me, and I tear it from their hands and push them to the ground, my breathing heavy and wild. I start backing away, defensively clinging to the weapon. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Leave me—leave me be!” I stammer. “Leave me alone! I don’t wanna go back there!” The shadow stands back up, and they stomp towards me. I keep screaming that I won’t go back. What little light there is turns to darkness, and all I can see is my captor, the knife in my hands, and a direct path to connect them. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Listen,” they growl, “you put that knife back in my hands this instant, or else I’m gonna—” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I turn the knife around so it points towards me and jab it into my throat. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I’m not supposed to like it. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> It’s supposed to hurt. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I’m supposed to suffer. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The whispers. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I hear the whispers now. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> They’re everywhere, echoing through the darkness. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> They say terrible things, quietly urging me to let myself go. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> They’re slowly getting closer, louder, harder to ignore. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> With a final push, the knife goes all the way through. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I feel myself fading… and then, moments before it all goes dark, the hunger comes. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I’m hungry… </em>
</p><p>
  <em> So hungry… </em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em> I’m cold. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I open my eyes. It’s snowing. I like snow. It’s pretty. I wish it wasn’t so cold, though. If snow were warm, it would be perfect. I close my eyes again. I’m tired. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I don’t know why I’m sleeping in the snow. It’s too cold for me to move. I want to get up and go back home, but I can’t. It’s too cold. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Far away, I hear a voice. Lots of voices, actually. My friends, all playing in the snow. I want to join them, but I can’t move. I listen closer, trying to make out words in the cluster of sound. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Stop! You cannot put rocks in the snowballs!... What kind of throw was that, Sans?!... I got you! That’s a point!... Please stop being cringe culture…” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I want to laugh. I want to smile. I want to be with them. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I can’t. I can’t. I can’t. </em>
</p><p><em> The whispers come back, harsh and cold like the snow. </em> Worthless, <em> they call me. </em>Worthless, vile demon’s child. </p><p>
  <em> No matter how much I try to deny it, I know they’re right. I was never good enough for any of them. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> At times like this, I feel like I can’t breathe. Sometimes I wonder if it would be better that way. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I remember the night Mom caught me. I was hiding in the bathroom. I’d misbehaved, and Mom had yelled at me, but she forgot to punish me, and I wanted to remind myself that what I did was not okay, and that I was bad, and that I deserved to suffer. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> It was only supposed to be a few little cuts, but one of them went too deep. I cried out in pain, and that’s when Mom found me. She saw the bleeding lines on my arm, and the knife I snuck out of the kitchen, and I saw the absolute fury of hellfire in her eyes. She told me to come with her to the park. I begged her to not make me go, but it didn’t work. We went there together, and she said she’d come back when she thought I’d learned my lesson. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Of course, she always gave me a small backpack with a few snacks and some water, and I knew how to make a little bit of food last a long time, so I should have been okay. But then two months passed. I thought she left me to die. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Maybe she would have been better off that way. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I’m cold and hungry, and I need something to distract me from the whispers. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Something warm touches my chest. My SOUL glows a little bit. I hear a new voice… </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Please wake up…” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> My eyes are stuck. I manage to get one open just a little bit, and I see a familiar ghostly face. I try to say something, but my voice is gone. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Frisk, you need to wake up. Please…” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I sigh, but it comes out as a pathetic whine. I can barely breathe. The snow isn’t soft anymore. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Hey, hey, hey,” she says softly. “Look at me. Frisk, just look at me…” </em>
</p><hr/><p>I whimper, eyes fluttering. Sure enough, Chara’s by my side, with a hand on my chest. The rest of my body is sprawled out across a park bench.<em> The </em>park bench.</p><p>“Chara?” I mumble.</p><p>She gives me a nervous smile. <em> “Yeah, I'm right here, Frisk.” </em></p><p>I push myself up and look at the other side of the bench. The faint light of the moon outlines the little backpack Mom always leaves, sitting there as if it was waiting for me to wake up.</p><p>
  <em> “She brought you here while you were asleep. You had another nightmare, and you were screaming, so…” </em>
</p><p>“I figured as much,” I respond as I start opening the pack. It’s seen a lot of use, so the zipper gets stuck a lot. “She doesn’t like it when I scream.” I stop suddenly when I finally get the old zipper unstuck and see what’s inside.</p><p>The bag is empty except for a knife and a small slip of paper that reads “I won’t be long. Feel free to use this, since apparently, you like it so much. -Mom”</p><p>I start shaking. I know that she knows about my habit, but I didn’t think she knew it had been going on for a long time. How much did she know?</p><p>How much did I?</p><p>Tears welling up in my eyes, I pick up the knife. Ever since I came back I’ve been trying my best to behave for Mom, but I got spoiled while I was with my monster friends, and I keep acting up, and there are so many times I’ve needed to punish myself before but couldn’t because she <em>knew</em>, she would be wary. But now she isn’t here. Now seems like as good a time as any to finally go through with it. These punishments were a long time coming. Besides, it’ll distract me from the bad thoughts, the ones I call the whispers.</p><p>I pull my sleeve up and start taking off the bandage wrapped around my arm and hand—there are some spots where dried blood got stuck, and it hurts a bit when I have to forcefully pull it off those spots. I stop for a moment, admiring the half-scabbing along the newest cuts and the pinkish-white marks from much older ones. Sometimes I don’t have anything to distract myself with, and I just bite my arm—there are still some tiny crescent-shaped bruises from a few days before I fell into the Underground. I lay the sharp end of the blade against a mostly scar-free spot, since I learned the hard way long ago that the scars hurt worse if you cut them again. I press the blade down against my skin and take a deep breath.</p><p>
  <em> “Frisk? What are you doing?” </em>
</p><p>I barely pay attention to Chara, focusing instead on the knife in my hand. I slide it down, creating a thin bleeding line. It hurts, but it doesn’t hurt enough to make the whispers go away.</p><p>
  <em> “Hey! Frisk?!” </em>
</p><p>I move the knife a little to the left and make another cut, and another, and another, and another, until the whispers finally leave me alone. I pick up the bandage, spending more time than I’d like on trying to wrap it around my hand and arm again without layering the dirty parts over my fresh cuts. I try to pull it tight so it won’t come undone, but it just makes my hand feel like it’s gone static. I loosen it a bit and tuck the edges underneath themselves to make sure it stays on. The cloth is already staining, so I pull my sleeve back up to try and ignore it.</p><p>Chara’s gone completely silent, and she looks almost scared. I sigh and try not to look directly at her. “Well,” I mutter, “it was only a matter of time before you found out.” I put the bloody knife back inside the old backpack and zip it up. “Sometimes, Mom forgets to punish me, so I have to do it myself. But, well, most of the time, I just, need a distraction from the whispers—”</p><p>Chara wraps her arms around me, her chest shaking. <em> “It’s okay,” </em> she says tearfully, <em> “you don’t have to explain anything. I understand. I understand.” </em> For a moment, my SOUL shines from within both of us, casting a faint red glow onto our surroundings. <em> “I know things might be rough, but… if you ever just want somebody to talk to, I’m here. You don’t have to be scared to tell me these things. I’m here for you.” </em></p><p>Silence burns my essence as the two of us embrace each other. I want to say something, but… what could I possibly say? I don’t know what to do; Chara’s not like Mom at all, so I don’t know what to expect from her, and it scares me. What will happen when I finally push her too far? Is that even possible?</p><p>“You’re so much like miss Toriel,” I sob. “I feel like, like I can trust you… more than Mom… please don’t tell her I said that, she’d kill me… I’m scared, Chara…”</p><p>All she says back is <em> “I know.” </em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. LOVE, Hope, and Compassion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Come on, Kris.” Flowey starts to tug at my arm impatiently; I brush him off almost immediately. I hate being touched. “Were we going somewhere or weren’t we?”</p><p>I sigh and turn away. “You know that it’s no use. Nobody even answers the door anymore.”</p><p>“Then we’ll check the park today. That simple.”</p><p>For a moment, I freeze. Papyrus told me that he and his friends found Frisk at the park, apparently left there by her mother for who knows how long. If she was there again, that would mean… I turn back to face Flowey. “You really think she might be there?”</p><p>“It’s possible. You said V mentioned something about a ‘waiting spot’ at the park. Maybe she brought Frisk there for a bit.”</p><p>Right. The “waiting spot”. I’m not entirely sure what the hell that’s supposed to mean, but it’s definitely not a good thing if Veronica is involved. “Well,” I sigh, “I guess it’s a possibility. But do you think we could grab a bite first?”</p><p>“Don’t see why not.”</p><p>“Wanna go check out the new Grillby’s?”</p><p>Flowey recoils at the thought. “No way!” he shouts with a glare. “That’s where that smiley trashbag Sans hangs out! He hates me.”</p><p>“Well, nobody said you had to come inside.”</p><p>I head inside Grillby's alone. Some chubby skeleton with a goofy smile is sitting on one of the barstools and asking for a ketchup refill—I think he might be Sans. I’ve heard Papyrus talk about him enough to know what he’s like. I sit down next to him, and the two of us sit in awkward silence for a while before he finally says "Hey, I’ve never seen you come in here.”</p><p>I shrug. “I’m just on my way to check on somebody. Thought maybe I’d get something to eat on the way.”</p><p>He rests his chin on his hand, still with that grin on his face. “Who are you seeing?”</p><p>“New friend. You might know her, actually. Her name’s Frisk.”</p><p>Sans closes his eyesockets and shakes his head. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t know her. We’re good friends.” He opens his eyesockets again and looks past me. “Though… I haven’t heard from her since Papyrus told me that her mom came back.”</p><p>“That’s the thing.”</p><p>A fire monster—probably Grillby—walks up to us. “You know,” he says, “if you’re not going to order anything, you should sit at a table. Hungry folks are waiting for available barstools.”</p><p>“It won’t be much longer, sir.” I turn back to face Sans. “See, this flower and I have a suspicion that Frisk’s mom is actually bad. Not as in bad at being a mom, bad as in actively being cruel to Frisk. We were just about to see if Frisk is at the park.”</p><p>Sans just looks at me like I have lobsters crawling out of my ears. “Why would she be there <em> again</em>?”</p><p>“Her mom mentioned something about a ‘waiting spot’ at the park. We think maybe she brought Frisk back there.” I start to get up, then look back at him. “Do you… wanna come?”</p><p>He closes his eyes with a smile. “Sounds like a good idea. I haven’t seen the kid in a while. Figure it would be nice to say hi,” he says before turning to face Grillby. “Hey, Grillbz! Can I get a triple order of burg to-go?”</p><p>Grillby heads into the back room and comes back out with a small brown bag labeled “GRILLBY’S TO-GO”.</p><p>“Thanks, Grillbz. And don’t worry about payment right now; just put it on my tab, ‘kay?”</p><p>Grillby sighs. “Will do.”</p><p>“Thanks again.” Sans grabs the bag and starts walking towards the door. “Let’s go.”</p><p>Sans and I regroup with Flowey, and the three of us head off. Flowey generally stays a good distance away from Sans. When we finally arrive at the park, I realize Flowey was right—Frisk is here, and she looks miserable.</p><p>“Frisk?” Sans’s confusion is evident. “Hey, what are you doing back here, kid?”</p><p>She doesn’t respond. Flowey moves beside her and places a vine on her shoulder. “Don’t be scared,” he says calmly. “You can tell us.”</p><p>She sighs heavily, looking away from all of us. “I was bad…”</p><p>Sans just laughs at the statement.“You? Bad? Kid, I know you. That’s not possible.”</p><p>“You know me?” Frisk asks with tears in her eyes. “That’s what everyone else thought. They don’t know. How could they know?”</p><p>“Hey.” Flowey moves his vine from Frisk’s shoulder to her hand. “Listen. You’re not bad. Your mom’s the bad one.”</p><p>Taken aback, Frisk frowns. “But Mom loves me!” she shouts, sounding hurt.</p><p>Now it’s my turn to sigh. “What you’re feeling isn’t love, Frisk. She’s neglecting you.”</p><p>“From the looks of that bloody stain on her sleeve,” Flowey mutters, “I’d say she’s also abusing her.”</p><p>I take a moment to look at her sleeve and finally notice the blotchy reddish-brown spot on her forearm. It’s pretty big; I’m not sure how I missed it before.</p><p>“That wasn’t…” Frisk stops mid-sentence and turns away from the wound on her arm. “Never mind,” she finally finishes.</p><p>“Hey, are you hungry?” Sans reaches into his pocket and pulls out one of the burgers he ordered at Grillby’s. “I brought you a burger.”</p><p>Frisk eyes it ravenously, but then shakes her head and turns away. “You guys need to leave. If Mom finds out you were here with me, she’ll—”</p><p>“Woah, woah, woah,” Flowey interrupts. “Slow down for a sec. How long have you been here for?”</p><p>Frisk shrugs. “Since last night. Mom doesn’t like it when I scream.”</p><p>There’s a long silence among the four of us. Even though nobody says anything, I can tell we’re all thinking the same thing: Frisk is not in a good situation.</p><p>“Well,” Flowey finally says. “I don’t know about you, but that’s all the proof I need. She’s officially better off with the royal family.”</p><p>I smile. “So you’ve seen how the Dreemurrs care for her, huh?”</p><p>“I have,” says a new, but unfortunately familiar voice. “They spoiled her rotten.”</p><p>Turning around, my fears are confirmed: standing behind us is Veronica, looking furious. I freeze up, startled by how suddenly she arrived.</p><p>Flowey smiles nervously at her. “Hey! V!” His voice is trembling. “Where’ve you been?”</p><p>Veronica doesn’t respond. Instead, she walks past all of us and grabs Frisk’s arm right on the injured spot; Frisk cries out in pain as Veronica's grip tightens.</p><p>“Come on, Faith,” she growls as she pulls Frisk off the bench. “We’re going home.”</p><p>She starts walking away, pulling Frisk along with her. She doesn’t even try to escape. They’ve gone a good distance away from us, but before they can go any further a bunch of thorny vines burst from the ground and ensnare Veronica. In her shock, she lets go of Frisk, and another vine free of thorns lifts her up and gently brings her to us.</p><p>Flowey’s expression has gone from nervous to furious. His eyes have gone completely dark, and his fangs are much more prominent.</p><p>“No,” he roars, “you’re not.”</p><p>Veronica struggles against the vines holding her, but to no avail. She turns to face Flowey with the most vicious glare I’ve seen in a while. “Listen here you little weed, let me go this instant, or you’ll be sorry.”</p><p>Flowey only tightens the grip of the vines. I can see Veronica wince as the thorns start to stab her. “Kris and I have seen how you treat her,” he says, “and I think it’s time we do something about it. She’s <em> not </em> going home with you.”</p><p>“What?” we all say, equally shocked by Flowey’s statement.</p><p>Flowey draws closer to Veronica, still giving her an impressive death glare. “Ever since I first met you, your attitude towards Frisk has been fickle at best. You promised she would regret leaving your little ‘waiting spot’. Kris says that you were intimidating her into submission when you finally found her. You never let her see anyone else once you got her back. And now this?! Look at her! She’s starving and bleeding and miserable! She wasn’t like this before you came back into her life, so what does that tell us?”</p><p>Sans looks shocked; even his permanent grin is a bit smaller. “Wait, this all happened?” I nod. “And none of you told me? Bit rude, guys.”</p><p>Flowey finally drops Veronica. “Frisk is coming with <em> us</em>,” he says, “and that’s <em> final</em>.”</p><p>“Faith is <em> my </em> daughter!” Veronica shouts, having lost all her patience. “My daughter, not yours! You don’t <em> get </em> to decide what she can or can’t do!”</p><p>Flowey smiles eerily. “We’ll just see about that.” He offers his leaf like a hand to frisk, who grabs it gently. “Hey,” he says with a more gentle tone of voice. “You wanna go see Toriel?</p><p>Frisk nods. I swear I can see tears in her eyes.</p><p>“Okay.” Flowey starts leading the way back to the Dreemurr household. “Come on. Let’s go home.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Return to the True Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As the four of us head for Toriel’s house, I find myself looking back sometimes, wondering if what Flowey did was a good idea. Surely Mom’s furious with him, so why isn’t she coming back for me?</p><p>Maybe everyone’s right, and she really doesn’t care for me. The thought makes me feel heavier, like I’ve swallowed a boulder. If even Mom doesn’t care for me, then who does?</p><p>Kris finally breaks the long silence between us when they say “That was pretty brave, Flowey.”</p><p>Sans nods in agreement. “Yeah, you must really care about Frisk.”</p><p>“What?!” Flowey pulls himself away from me at the statement. “You should know as well as anybody else that I don’t care about things. I don’t even have the <em> ability </em>to care.” He uses one of his leaves to motion to his stem. “No SOUL, remember?”</p><p>Sans looks at him sideways. “Suuuuure,” he says with a smug smile.</p><p>Flowey smacks himself in the face. “Look,” he says angrily, “I did what needed to be done. What you guys wanted to do, but couldn’t for whatever reason.”</p><p>“Come on. You just don’t wanna admit that you’re actually a softie.”</p><p>This time, Flowey doesn’t even respond to Sans. He just looks in a different direction, spying Toriel and Asgore’s house. “Oh, look. We’re here.”</p><p>Together, we all walk up to the door. Sans knocks on the door twice, like he’s getting ready to tell a knock-knock joke. It isn’t long before the lock clicks and somebody opens the door.</p><p>“This is Tori—” She stops talking the moment she sees me. “Faith?”</p><p>I run over to her and hold her tight, sobbing from the overwhelming emotion inside me. “I’m sorry,” I cry, “I’m so sorry…”</p><p>“What are you doing back here? Should you not be with your mother now?”</p><p>I hear Flowey’s voice chime in. “Long story short? She was being abused.”</p><p>“What?!” The shock and anger in Toriel’s voice couldn’t be more clear.</p><p>“Yeah, you’ve missed a lot.”</p><p>“Oh goodness! No wonder you are so upset!” Toriel gently pulls off my hands and kneels to see eye-to-eye with me, holding my face between her big, fluffy paws. She’s just as warm and fuzzy as I remember. “Faith, why did you not tell us before?”</p><p>“I don’t think she <em>knew</em>,” Flowey says. “She thought that what Veronica was doing was normal.”</p><p>Toriel lifts me and cradles me like I’m her own daughter. I hug her again, still crying. “Shh,” she whispers as she strokes my back. “It is okay, Faith. I am here now. No one will ever hurt you again.” She turns around with me still in her arms and looks back at my friends. “All of you, please come inside. There, we may discuss this further.”</p><p>Once we’re all inside the house, Toriel sets me down on a nice, soft chair, tenderly wiping my tears away. Sans and Kris sit on a big couch on the other side of the room, and Flowey pops out of a small space in the floorboards.</p><p>“Could you… make sure her arm is alright?” Flowey asks, sounding concerned. Toriel nods in response and takes hold of my arm, rolling my sleeve up to expose the filthy, bloodstained bandage wrapped around my hand and arm.</p><p>“This bandage is very dirty, my child,” she says. “Why do you still have it on?”</p><p>I curl inwards on myself a little bit. “It’s the only one I have,” I reply, a bit embarrassed.</p><p>“Can I take it off?”</p><p>Feeling like I don’t really have a choice, I nod. Toriel gently pulls at the wrapping, eventually finding the spots where I tucked in the bandage and unraveling it completely. Everyone looks shocked at the sight of all the cuts along my arm and wrist.</p><p>“Faith… this is a lot of scratches.” Toriel turns my arm a little bit, closely observing the bloody marks and pinkish strips of newly healed skin. “This looks like it has been going on for a long time. Did your mother do this to you?”</p><p>I don’t want to tell her that it was me, but I also don’t want to lie and say it was Mom. “I was bad,” I whimper. “I deserved it.”</p><p>“Oh, please do not talk about yourself like that.” She holds my hands, being careful not to disturb any of the gashes on my bad arm. “You are a very sweet girl; you do not deserve to be hurt like this. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise.”</p><p>“Tori?” Asgore’s voice calls out. I hear footsteps approaching, and he enters through the doorway. Looking around for a bit, he smiles at the sight of my friends. “I see you have several guests. And… is that Faith? How wonderful!”</p><p>“Sorry, Asgore,” Flowey says, “but this little get-together isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Frisk was being abused by her mom.”</p><p>Asgore casts his face downward, and I can't tell if it’s because he’s sad or angry. “Oh.” His voice carries enough disappointment in it to wrench my heart. “I see.”</p><p>“Look what her mother did to her,” Toriel says as she holds out my arm.</p><p>Asgore kneels and holds my arm; Toriel lets go to make room for his paws. His expression changes to worry and concern as he sees just how many scars and bruises and cuts I have. “Can you heal her?” he asks.</p><p>Toriel sighs. “I will be able to take the pain away, but the wounds themselves will unfortunately remain. Healing magic does not fully extend to non-magical injuries.”</p><p>Kris finally speaks, and even though I can’t see their eyes, I can tell by their tone of voice that they’re just as worried as Toriel and Asgore. “Just do whatever you can. Please.”</p><p>Toriel holds my hand and closes her eyes. A faint green light covers all my injuries. For a moment, it stings, but then the pain melts away as if it was never there.</p><p>“There we are.” She stands up, carrying the old bandage that was wrapped around my arm for so long. “I will get you a new bandage. Wait here for me, alright?” She leaves the room, and Asgore takes a seat beside me. Even when he’s sitting down, he easily dwarfs me. It used to scare me how big he was, but now that I’ve seen how gentle and kind he is, it’s hard to be scared of him.</p><p>“Faith—”</p><p>“Mister Asgore,” I interrupt, “please call me Frisk.”</p><p>I expect him to get mad at me for interrupting him, but he just… smiles. “Okay. As long as you’re comfortable.” His expression becomes somber again as he continues talking. “Frisk, I’m very sorry that you had to go through this.”</p><p>I sigh. “You don’t need to be sorry. It was my fault. I should have behaved.”</p><p>Asgore puts his arm around my shoulders. “Oh, you mustn’t think like that. She did not hurt you because of your behavior, she hurt you because she <em>chose </em>to hurt you. It’s never your fault if somebody else decides to hurt you.”</p><p>Toriel comes back with a clean strip of gauze wrapping and a small container of some kind of cream. She rubs the cream on my arm, making sure to cover every mark no matter how much it’s healed, and then begins wrapping the bandage around all the cuts. She’s really careful not to make it so tight that my hand goes numb, but not so loose that it’ll keep coming undone.</p><p>“You know,” Sans says, “whenever I’m feeling down, I tell myself a really bad joke. It always lifts my spirits. Wanna hear one?”</p><p>Flowey turns to face him with an irritated look. “Please don’t,” he groans.</p><p>“Knock knock,” Sans continues anyways.</p><p>I decide to play along. “Who’s there?”</p><p>“Cargo.”</p><p>“Cargo who?”</p><p>“No, cars go ‘beep beep’, silly!” He laughs at his own joke. I laugh a little bit too, but Toriel places a paw on my shoulder.</p><p>“Please hold still, Faith.”</p><p>Asgore gently nudges her and says “She would prefer if you called her Frisk, Tori.”</p><p>Toriel smiles at me. “Of course, my child.” She finishes wrapping up my arm and wrist and uses a spell to keep them from falling apart. “How does it feel?”</p><p>“Better,” I say quietly, unsure of what else to do.</p><p>Asgore nods in approval, then turns to Kris. “It appears I owe you an apology. You were right about Frisk’s true mother, and I did not listen to your warnings. I’m sorry.”</p><p>Kris just shrugs. “It’s fine. Really.”</p><p>“Have you found any suitable caretakers?” Toriel asks.</p><p>“Actually,” Flowey says, shrinking away a bit, “we were hoping you’d take her in.”</p><p>For a moment, the whole room becomes silent. After a little while, Toriel speaks. “Well, we cannot do so against her will.” She turns to look at me with a gentle look. The light of hope glistens in her eyes. “Frisk, would you like to stay with Asgore and I?”</p><p>I don’t know what to say. I’ve stayed with them before, so I know what it’s like for the most part, but I never expected them to want me enough to let me stay forever. I can feel myself starting to cry. “You’d… you’d really let me?”</p><p>Asgore smiles and holds my hand. “Of course! We can be like a family!”</p><p>I finally realize something that I’ve known since I left the Underground: Toriel and Asgore and all the other monsters are the ones who cared about me. I run up to Toriel and hug her as tight as I can, once again afraid she might disappear if I don’t. This whole day feels like a dream, and it’s so <em>good</em>; I don’t ever want to wake up if it is a dream. “Thank you so much!” I cry; the words keep coming out and I don’t make any attempt to stop them. “You don’t know how much it means to me! I wish I’d known sooner, she <em>never </em>cared, she hurt me so much! I’m so sorry! I should have known, it was so <em>obvious</em>! <em> You </em>cared! You <em>always </em>cared! You loved me more than anything, and so did mister Asgore!”</p><p>Toriel gently lifts me, and I wrap my arms around her shoulders, burying my face in her new dress. “You’ve always been so calm and nice, and you made things for me, and you’re soft and warm, and always there when I need someone, and you never yell at me, even when I’ve been bad, and you’ve never left me behind, and I don’t know how I never noticed before! You and mister Asgore are the ones who care, Mom—”</p><p>I stop dead in my tracks. <em> I just called her Mom. </em> Embarrassed, I shrink away from Toriel. “Sorry,” I say quietly. “I guess I got a little carried away.”</p><p>“No, it is quite alright.” She smiles at me in that gentle, loving way that makes my heart melt. “After all, you have always been <em> my child</em>.”</p><p>Unable to hold back my tears of joy, I return her smile and hug her again. I feel the warmth of her SOUL against me, and my own SOUL glows in response.</p><p>All this time, I’d been waiting for my mom to come back for me, and I never realized that she was here all along.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Tranquil Morning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>A tiny smile makes its way onto my face as I watch my partner sleep. The gentle rise and fall of her chest seems so peaceful, so calm… it’s mesmerizing. For a moment, I forget about the world around us; all that’s there is Frisk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s been five days since Toriel and Asgore took her in, and even though not much has changed—she still has a lot more to overcome—I have a feeling that she’s in a way better place than she ever would have been with Veronica. Sometimes, though, I receive feelings from within her SOUL. Part of her still believes that her human mother cared. Part of her wants to go back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, that part isn’t as prominent anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I wander outside of Frisk’s room and look into the mirror in the hallway. There’s no reflection, of course, but I can change that. With a wave of my hand and a few whispers in the magic tongue, I see an image appear in the mirror. A young monster covered head to toe in salt-colored fur stares back at me with rusty brown eyes, her fangs just barely peeking out of her maw. Tiny horn nubs sit on top of her head, and she wears an extravagant robe embroidered with the Delta Rune. Beautiful. So beautiful. We smile at each other. I spin around and watch as her gown twirls through the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It would be nice if I could appear like this. A monster, like I should have been. I wonder for a moment how Frisk would react if I manifested this way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Part of my spell fades.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All the negative words I know swim through my mind as I stare at the horrible, ugly human. I’m reminded of my pale skin that doesn’t have fur or scales on it and hair the color of dead leaves. The only things decorating my bony face are a bunch of pockmarks and scars and the bags under my eyes. I hate it. I hate it with every fiber of my being. Disgusted, I turn away from the mirror and head back to Frisk’s room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Frisk is a human, isn’t she? So why is it that no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to find any darkness in her heart? Why can’t I find a reason to hate her the same way I could with all the other humans? It should be easy. She’s a human, and humans are evil. So why isn’t she?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I slam myself against the wall in a fit of anger. I don’t need to hate her! This is the exact same kind of evil that runs through the blood of humanity! Of course darkness rests inside me; no matter how much I wish otherwise, in the end, I’m human too. I’m just like the rest of them, even though I try not to be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sometimes I consider embracing the darkness in my SOUL. It would make things easier, that’s for sure. I resist the urge. I have to resist it. I don’t even remember why; it’s like a raw instinct that keeps screaming </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t follow their path</span>
  </em>
  <span> over and over. The urge begs me to let myself go. I don’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A faint red glow appears in the corner of my vision. It isn’t coming from Frisk’s direction. Without thinking, I turn around, and—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s not a monster, but it definitely isn’t human, either. The creature looks almost wolflike, with a long mane covering its head and back and seven poofy tails. Blood drips from it's eyes and mouth, and it's whole form generally looks wispy, almost like a ghost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello, demon,” the creature says. It's voice is low and raspy, and it smiles as it speaks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I glare at the creature. “I’m not a demon,” I growl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that so, child?” It walks up to me and caresses my face; I push it away in disgust. I don’t bother thinking about the fact that the creature can touch me. “You are not a human, and you are not a monster. You are not a Darkner or one of our own. No, child, you are somewhere in between. Are we to believe you are anything but an unholy creature?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I punch the creature, hitting it square in the muzzle. The thing let’s it’s long, serpentine tongue fall out of its perpetually open mouth as it recoils from the blow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing here?” I ask it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It smiles again, retracting its tongue. “We came for the Dreamer, the sacred one who you are corrupting with your presence.” It walks over to the side of Frisk’s bed and touches her face; she starts whimpering, and I see her tense up beneath the thick blankets. “They are the key to our salvation, demon. We suggest you let them come with us. Do not worry; we will treat them </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> well.” One of their tails slides beneath the covers—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I don’t even think about what happens next. I lunge at the creature with all my might, knocking it down and pinning it to the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh…” it says with a familiar smile. “We did not realize your intentions, child. All you had to do was tell us this is what you wanted.” It grabs my shoulders and rolls over, leaving me pressed against the floor and it looming over me. “Shall we get started while the Dreamer is still resting? Do not worry, for they will sleep all through the night, safe and undisturbed by our actions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get started with what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Immediately after I ask the question, the creature starts trying to take off my clothes. I shove it off me and call forth a magic dagger, plunging it into its shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Demon, how could you?!” It crawls away into the hall, tightly gripping the wounded area with it's long-fingered hands. “You will not get away with this! When next we meet, you shall regret crossing Starving One!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then it vanishes, almost as if it was never there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I let myself sink into the bed beside Frisk, exhausted by the encounter. Maybe I should try to get some sleep, too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Asgore steps in, being sure to make as little noise as possible. I watch silently as he moves to stand beside the bed and kneels. He goes to pet Frisk, but she curls up tighter at his touch. His expression becomes more worried, but after a bit he gently places a paw on Frisk’s head. “There, there,” he whispers. “I heard your cries, and I wanted to come and let you know that everything’s okay. Tori and I are right here if you ever need us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Frisk relaxes a bit, and her SOUL lights up in contentment. Asgore slowly moves away until he’s left the room. A tiny smile makes its way onto my face as I watch my partner sleep. The gentle rise and fall of her chest is so peaceful, so calm…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It isn’t long before sleep claims me as well.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Gateway</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I wake up to the sound of somebody ringing the doorbell. Curious, I slide out of bed and start heading towards the door to my room.</p><p>
  <em>“Frisk?”</em>
</p><p>Chara’s voice catches me off guard, but I turn around to face her anyway, doing my best to hide the fact that she scared me. She’s sitting on my bed, seeming nervous for the first time.</p><p>
  <em>“I have something to tell you.”</em>
</p><p>I climb onto the bed, sitting right beside her. “What is it?”</p><p><em>“Last night, something weird happened. A wolf person tried to kidnap you.”</em> She takes a quick breath before continuing. <em>“It… attacked me when I tried to protect you.”</em></p><p>The wolfdog. I’d almost forgotten about it, but now all of a sudden Chara’s seen it? And it was trying to kidnap me? I remember the first time I saw it, when it raked my chest and tried to eat me. All the times when it talked to me in my dreams, urging me to do horrible things. What does it want with me? It doesn’t make a lot of sense.</p><p>“Did it say anything weird?” I ask. I don’t actually want to know, but the question is eating away at me.</p><p>
  <em>“It said… something about you being the key to it's salvation. It called you ‘the sacred one’. It also seemed pretty pissed that we share a SOUL.”</em>
</p><p>“Why’s that?”</p><p><em>“It thinks I’m a demon that’s trying to corrupt you.”</em> I can see Chara’s eyes start to turn dark as she sighs. <em>“But there’s something else bothering me about it.”</em></p><p>Despite my fear, I slide closer to her. “Do you wanna talk about it?”</p><p><em>“I’ve seen that thing before, in my nightmares.”</em> The darkness fades from her eyes, and I realize how scared she looks. <em>“If I’m right, then you’re in danger. That beast will stop at nothing to have it's way with you.”</em></p><p>I don’t know how to respond. It never occurred to me that Chara might have nightmares, and I never would have imagined she knew about the same creature attacking me in my own dreams. All this new information only confuses me even more. What does the wolfdog want from us?</p><p>Chara places her hand on top of mine. <em>“If you ever see that thing again, please let me know.”</em></p><p>I nod. “I will.”</p><hr/><p>“Hurry! Master said we need a functional entrance as soon as possible!”</p><p>I growl in resentment as I begin casting the spell that will open the three-way gate between our worlds. It saps all of my energy, and it isn’t long before I collapse. The fragment of a gateway that I created fizzles out of existence.</p><p>All of this menial work and for what? The supposed return of our great Dreamer? I know the legend; I know they were prophesied to return, but that is only a prediction. No ethereal, however great, has ever survived this long after death. Our SOULs barely last more than a day when our bodies die, and even if they do end up being revived, ethereal-incarnates never live longer than a mere decade. If Dreamer has been reborn, it happened a very long time ago and we were all too grief-stricken to notice.</p><p>“Dreamer cannot have been reborn,” I mutter, “especially not in the form of some… weak human girl!”</p><p>“Silence, Willow!” The expedition leader stomps towards me and grabs my inverted horns. “You must not speak of the sacred one in such a way! If not for Dreamer, our world would have crumbled under the savagery of war!”</p><p>“Yes, yes, I know the story! All I am saying is that for them to have returned eight years ago is anomalous at best. SOULs never last more than a day!”</p><p>“Dreamer was special,” the leader replies. “They were born of Gaia; it makes no sense for them to have the same restrictions on their life that we do.”</p><p>“Listen to me,” I grumble as my horns start to burn. “If Dreamer has been reborn, it happened the day of their death, before the worlds of Dark and Light were ever touched by life. More so, they would have ceased to be ten years afterward!”</p><p>The leader squints at me with all five of their narrow eyes before releasing me. I head back to the stony ground in front of me and prepare to channel my magic again, but something darts through my peripheral vision and I turn in the direction the movement came from, curious.</p><p>“Heeheehee…”</p><p>I turn to face the voice, and a devilish-looking jester dressed in shades of blue and black is leaning against a pillar, smiling eerily.</p><p>“Welcome, travelers.” His cross-shaped eyes stare blankly at our small group. “What brings you here to the Card Castle?”</p><p>The expedition leader steps forward and gazes at the jester. “We are here under orders from our monarch, Master.”</p><p>The jester smiles even wider, and his tail sways happily. “Ah, royal business! Might Seam and I escort you to our four Kings?”</p><p>“We have no need for that,” I say. “All we are doing is opening an entrance to our world. The Darkworld has an innate ability to connect with the Lightworld, so it only makes sense that we create our entrance in your part of the realm.”</p><p>The jester’s smile fades, and he looks confused. “You say Lightworld as if you do not come from there.”</p><p>The expedition leader begins to say something, but before they can get a single word out I reply with “That is because we do not. There is a third world that has eluded your knowledge since before life began in your worlds.”</p><p>“Really?” The jester sits down, patting the stone steps beside him as a gesture to approach. “Tell me more!”</p><p>The leader glares at me, then sighs. They turn to face the jester with an exhausted expression. “If you so desire, then I shall.”</p><p>As the two begin their conversation, I return to my task of forging the portal. Slowly, the gateway opens up before me, and I pour more of my energy into the spell until the gate remains stable, even after I stop using my magic.</p><p>“Scaxuid,” I call, “the portal has been prepared! It is time for your spell to be cast!”</p><p>The moment I finish my sentence, the ground begins to crumble under my feet. A strange dark liquid flows out from the cracks, rapidly increasing in intensity from leaks to small geysers. The gateway starts flickering and sparking as the darkness sprays onto it.</p><p>Scaxuid takes my hands between their long, cold tendrils and yanks me away from the gate. “Everyone, stop!” they shout. “The ground here is unstable!”</p><p>We all evacuate the area just in time to see the whole of the stony floor burst open, allowing a massive fountain of darkness to gush forward, destroying our gateway. The sky breaks apart and begins to run black at the touch of the new geyser.</p><p>“We should leave,” I say. Everyone else nods in agreement. I open a path to our world and lead everyone through.</p><p>It will be a long time before I return to the Darkworld.</p><hr/><p>“It is a sign, I tell you! The ancient prophecy foretells a great calamity should the balance be disrupted!”</p><p>“Yes, Diamond, it is a sign… but not one of destruction.”</p><p>“What are you talking about, Spade?! You know the legend as well as any of us!”</p><p>“Club is right. You saw how the darkness sent Jevil into a raving fit of madness! What reason do you have to believe the second fountain is anything but an omen?”</p><p>“The Knight spoke to me not long ago. They said the darkness would overthrow the Light which trapped us here.”</p><p>“Have you gone mad?!”</p><p>“Calm yourself, Heart. The surge of night shall give rise to a new world… ours.”</p>
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